


Riposa in Pace

by TellThemNaegi



Series: Fragments [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa Zero, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gen, Mystery, Non-Chronological, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Trauma, Supernatural Elements, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 199,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8495707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TellThemNaegi/pseuds/TellThemNaegi
Summary: The epilogue of the Hope's Peak Saga transpires on Jabberwock Island, where the students of class 78 become the most recent victims of a witch's legend. centuries old. The protagonist, Makoto Naegi finds himself at odds with his captor, the demented witch, with fashion sense as wicked as her sense of humor and struggles to overcome her final killing game - A peaceful vacation among friends turned into a den of crimson-eyed killers, with the aim of being the last man standing.Can Makoto escape the repeated cycles of bad ends with his sanity in tact? Or will he be crushed beneath the one-sided grudges, affections and expectations aimed at another?





	1. Rondo di Depistaggio / Rondo of Misdirection

The scenery was a film theater set ablaze.

Fire clung to the curtains, the seats, and spread as far as the eye could see. Only on the center stage could signs of life be found. Two figures faced off on opposite sides, too engrossed in the other’s presence to take notice of the rising hot temperatures. The flames sifted around them as if they were sentient enough to not interfere.

To an outside observer, it would appear as if the flames were as the audience - the boy and girl, actors on the stage.

*cough*

A fountain of blood spurted out of one of the figure’s mouth as they sunk to their knees. Her once pristine appearance was sullied by blood and her hands clung to a gaping wound on the left side. A spiky-haired boy a few meters in front gazed dispassionately at the girl’s fallen form.

_Did I go too far? ...No, this was the outcome I desired all along wasn’t it?_

She couldn’t help but recall the past when she would mock his height…and now he looked like a giant towering over her even from a distance. Still, even that discrepancy was paltry compared to the change in the way he gazed at her. Those eyes, once filled with innocence and burned with fierce determination when provoked, were now emotionless and cold as steel. Fitting, given he was pointing a smoking gun at her.

She had finally done it. She had broken his hope.

“Enoshima…even now, with your talent you could do so much. What could have been worth throwing it all away?”

Her anticipated laughter never came. It was forced back by the metallic taste of mixed blood and vomit.

“H-How many times are you going to make me say it? Your pain a-and even mine, It was all for the euphoria of Despair. Despair was the only reason for me to live in this boring world.” Even in her current state, she spoke with grandeur befitting the queen of despair

“You’ve got that wrong.” He said in a low voice “You didn’t choose to live, instead you just kept running away without ever taking responsibility for the life you led...or the lives you ended.”

“Upupu~. Aren’t you getting a little too cocky for a little shit that wet his pants into the 5th grade? By my estimations, running away would be more along the lines of your immediate actions. So try not to take your failing to save those shit-for-brains friends of yours on poor little me. What business does a peasant like yourself have judging me anyway? Know your place, mortal!” With each sentence, her persona shifted from crude, to intellectual, to mockingly coy and finally, regal.

Makoto Naegi didn’t respond. Instead he merely pulled the trigger and let the bullet speak for him.

_Look how far we've come_

 ---

Hajime Hinata laid on the sands near the glimmering ocean as the sun set on the famed Jabberwock Island. The site was a popular attraction for the rich and leisurely. For the next few weeks however, the resort had been reserved for 2 classes of the Ultimate students attending Hope’s Peak Academy.

So what was a lowly reserve course student like himself doing here?

“Hajime!” The source of that call would be the one to whom he owed the pleasure, Chiaki Nanami. Apparently, there was a spot open for the trip and she had requested he fill in the position. Hajime was half-overjoyed and half-depressed. Happy that someone with notable talent had taken a liking to him and half-depressed because it was further proof that he couldn’t do a damn thing by himself.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how Chiaki just vouching for him was enough to convince the staff. Reserve students mingling with Ultimates wasn’t exactly standard procedure in Hope’s Peak, If anything, the interactions were discouraged.

Perhaps that was the reason why he felt inadequate next to Chiaki’s classmates, resulting in quite a few awkward conversations on their trip over a week ago. Some of the more accommodating students were curious as to how they knew each other. Of course, he replied they were just friends who played together occasionally.

He was then forced to ignore creepy innuendos from the stubby chef who seemed a bit too interested in exactly what “playing together” meant. Another one with hamsters on his shoulders asked what demon lord of the 9 realms Hajime pledged allegiance to. Yeah, he had nothing to say to that.

_Still, those introductions were nothing compared to…_

Hajime scowled at the memory of one particular annoyance. It was earlier when the ship docked and the students tried to choose who to carry the bags. The original idea had been to draw straws with the loser carrying the leftover luggage however, a certain white-haired boy decided against it.

“It would be a terrible waste to have you Ultimates use up your valuable time and energy on mundane tasks like these; chores should be left to the untalented help.” Hajime’s impression of Marshmallow was along the lines of a prick to mouth off at the workers that way, and it appeared the sentiment had been shared by everyone else seeing as they all conveyed simultaneous expressions ranging from disgust to exasperation.

 _This shouldn’t be surprising. After all, Hope’s peak is made up of geniuses who are set for life after graduation. It only makes sense assholes like him should be common pl- “_ So don’t worry, Hinata and I will take care of everything.” The white-haired  boy suggested with a smile and wave of the hand as he interrupted Hajime’s thoughts.

_He was talking about himself!? Hold on, I’m included in that too?_

Hajime raised an eyebrow at the boy, a gesture that either went unnoticed by the Ultimate or he just didn’t care to be bothered by it. Hajime wasn’t sure which was worse.

“Alright enough of that, you lazy asses. We’ll  all just come back to pick up what’s left over, okay. That way nothing gets misplaced.” Said the Instructor, Chisa Yukizome, who picked up on Hajime’s discomfort.

“I wouldn’t mind if one of the Mademoiselles used my ‘love potion’ for some of their own romantic escapades. Then again guys are fine too, just as long as I’m invited.” Hanamura grinned lecherously

“Don’t tell me you’re still carrying that aphrodisiac junk? Hand it over!” The Ultimate Photographer, Mahiru Koizumi snapped

“Junk? I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady. A few morally questionable kinks aside, my newest masterpiece works even through saliva and it’ll drive pretty much anyone crazy. Rather than yelling at me, we could put those wonderful lips of yours to… much better use, if you catch my drift.” The ultimate chef’s world suddenly blurred upwards as Mahiru delivered an uppercut  to his chin and sent him flying through the air

Nobody paid the now unconscious Hanamura any mind.

The group went along to their cottages after following Yukizome’s orders and as promised, the whole island was practically theirs

“Earth to Hajime, I thought spacing out was supposed to be my thing.” The short pinkette knelt down and waved her hand across his face.

“Sorry, did you need something?” He replied

“Three things actually: (1) Teacher said everyone should meet in the hotel for dinner (2) After that, some of the guys are telling stories by the Jabberwock statue. They said something about a custom on field trips so I thought you’d like to come over. Teruteru said he’d make a dish good enough to make everyone drop their pants.”

"I’m assuming he means that figuratively. So what's the third?"

"Storm watch called for a typhoon in a few days so Miss Yukizome told everyone to be careful and not to leave out at night."Chiaki said and began tenderly rubbed her eyes as she often did.

“That's good to know...and you pulled an all-nighter again, I'm assuming?”

“Yeah I’ve been hanging out with one of the girls I met when we arrived. I’ve never seen her before though so she's probably an upperclassmen.”

“That so? What’s her name?”

“Sorry, she made me promise not to tell and I’m assuming she’s someone famous. What I can say is that she’d be like a hidden character with maxed out specs in an rpg.”

“Well that sounds vague and obnoxious. Shouldn’t everyone in Hope’s Peak be like that anyway?”

“Sorry, I’ll tell you later, if she lets me. Anyway, we should get going.”

He didn’t see any reason to refuse and accompanied the gamer towards Hotel Mirai.

 ---

The Ultimates sat encircled around a camp fire by the Jabberwock statue

One Makoto Naegi sat quietly while his friends gallivanted around

Celeste was sitting  on a chair and table she 'requested' Hifumi to bring from the hotel. The doujin author now awaiting further orders by her side.

Togami appeared to be mulling in thought and was leaning on the statue. Naturally Fukawa was stalking him from a distance.

Mondo, Ishimaru and Chihiro were huddled together in what the former two refer to as, a broship session.

Kirigiri and Sayaka  sat by the fireplace together, speaking too lowly for the luckster to hear. Suddenly, their gaze caught his and he turned away, embarrassed at having being caught staring. He didn't look back but he swore he could hear a bout of snickers and giggles from that direction.

Hina and Sakura looked to be sparring. The two girls had hit it off right at the start of the semester and soon enough, the swimmer had decided to add martial arts training under her repertoire of other athletic endeavors.

Hope’s Peak truly was incredible to just rent out the entire resort. At least, that’s what he would normally have said but it was rumored the school had been under some financial problems over the past few years. In secret, the cost for most of the trip had been funded by none other than Byakuya Togami. Not willingly of course, his consent had required quite a bit…okay a lot of complaining.Mondo and Leon thought it’d be a good idea to threaten Togami into consenting. Fortunately, they didn’t get very far when the ultimate fighter, Oogami Sakura tossed them a life-ending glare and they got detention from Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

 Celetia Ludenberg tried the typical gambling approach however it appeared that while Togami had a lot of pride, he wasn’t exactly stupid enough to bet against the Ultimate Gambler.

Yamada and Hagakure enlisted psychological warfare. Yamada told Togami he’d star in one of the author's “acclaimed” BL doujins for thousands of online followers to see. Hagakure said he had a vision of Togami, Fukawa, 18 Togami juniors and a 19th currently in the making. The only way to prevent this inevitability was to sponsor the vacation.

We didn’t see or hear a word about either of them for the next 2 weeks.

\---

 _“_ Here’s an idea. Why don’t you just ask him like normal people?” Kyouko Kirigiri suggested in a group meeting after class

“Seriously? You know for the ultimate detective, you sure say some dumb shit. No way will that blowhard listen to us just because we ask nicely and that’s why we’re in this mess to begin with.” Leon chortled

Kyouko didn’t even spare him a glance while Sayaka smiled at Leon and replied in her stead “Well you’re certainly right about one thing; it would take a miracle for you to convince Togami now after acting like idiots for the past month and a half.” As expected of the Ultimate Idol, Sayaka Maizono’s smile didn’t waver an inch despite her words dripping with derision

“So that’s why we’ve got no choice.” “You tell him, Makoto.” Kyouko and Sayaka finished each other’s sentences in succession

The class murmured in unanimous agreement while Makoto alone tilted his head to the side in confusion

“Huh, why would that work?”

Even the normally oblivious Ishimaru sighed at this.

Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky student, already held a special place in the class and could talk any of them into just about anything if he tried. Togami was no exception to that rule though his pride often necessitated more effort than the others. Only Naegi would deny the influence he had over people but that innocence was probably what made him special to begin with.

“Yeah, go for it, Makoto.” Asahina said and that was it.

Later that day, Makoto had decided to confront the heir at his nearby villa with the proposal because Togami was apparently too good for the regular dorms. Go figure. After walking an entire football field from the gate just to reach the door, he rang the bell. The door soon opened and Naegi was greeted by an older blond woman with electrifying blue eyes. She wore a seamless white blouse and contrasted it with black jeans and stilettos. Add in the copious amounts of jewelry, Makoto could only describe her as gorgeous and with presence to match.

_Togami’s sister?_

Hello, my name is Makoto Naegi. Is Togami here?” He spluttered

The beautiful woman in front of him didn’t reply immediately. Instead she studied every inch of his posture, making the boy feel rather nervous. Had he not gotten close to Kirigiri, he wouldn’t have noticed such tactics.

“Ah, where are my manners?” She finally spoke, her tone full of elegance and maturity “I am Shinobu Togami and I came to visit Byakuya as well. Would you happen to be one of his friends? ”

“Ye- I mean maybe? I think so?” Only after Naegi spoke did he catch a possible error. Were he and Togami friends? It was nearly impossible to tell with the scion but if he said otherwise, it could have made for an even more awkward situation with the person in front of him and the last thing he wanted to do was seem suspicious to these people. Then again, Togami wasn’t the easiest person to make friends with and if anyone should know that it’d be the rest of his family. A surefire answer would seem like a lie no matter what.

The Togami female suddenly broke into soft laughter “I suppose that’s the appropriate answer to that question when Byakuya is involved. If you had said yes, I would have teased you a bit. Sorry to say however, Byakuya is quite busy with family matters at the moment. I trust you wouldn’t come all the way over here for a leisurely visit so would it be alright to tell me what business you came to discuss?”

Makoto stifled a shudder at the seemingly harmless question. He’d spent enough time with the likes of Kirigiri, Sayaka and Celeste to pick up on a hidden blade when he saw it. That wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement not to waste her time.

_She’s definitely Togami’s relative._

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this but I’ve come on the behalf of my class to ask Byakuya for a favor. The end of the year school trip is coming soon and it appears to be beyond the school’s budget.” The luckster felt dirtier as he continued, he sounded like he was groveling.

Oh wait, that’s exactly what’s happening. “So…uh, I came to ask if Byakuya could lend a hand.”

“Oh my, an honest and straightforward answer yet again; this time especially should have taken guts. You really are adorable…Makoto was it? True to your namesake as well in that case.” Makoto blushed at the compliment, unable to find words to reply without stammering

“The school trip is it? Quite good timing I’d say. I’ll have to revoke my earlier statement so please wait here while I fetch Byakuya.” The door closed behind her as she entered the mansion.

Naegi spent the next few moments wondering what had changed the woman’s mind but couldn’t come up with anything before the door re-opened and Byakuya Togami himself stood before him. With an even more annoyed expression than usual.

“What. Is. It?” He drew out the syllables emphasizing how he could barely contain his irritation

“Hi,Togami. I was wondering whether you could help us with raising money for the trip to Jabberwock Island…if that’s okay with you?” Naegi said, meekly rubbing his cheek

Togami gave him the same expression he often reserved for whenever a certain ultimate clairvoyant opened his mouth

“For the last time, the answer is n-” “He would be glad to. Isn’t that right, Byakuya?” Before Byakuya could finish, he was interrupted by Shinobu who wore a perfect smile. Once again, Makoto Naegi surmised that she wasn’t actually asking. For a brief moment, Togami flared his anger at the woman however the luckster couldn’t help but notice his glare didn’t have 1/10th the steel it normally wielded. The door closed on Naegi yet again. He contemplated leaving as the situation seemed dim only for Togami to re-open it and look down at him.

“Your timing couldn’t have been worse. Fine, I’ll consider it so are we done here?”

“S-Seriously? Thanks we really appreciate it and I’ll definitely make it up to you…somehow.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Someone just might hold you to them one day.” Makoto pouted like a child at the remark

“Sorry to keep you, I’ll be going now. And I’d like to say thanks to your sister. She IS your sister right?” Makoto did his best to keep himself from saying something extremely cliché and lame. Judging from Byakuya’s reaction, he failed.

“Of course she’s my sister. Were you actually dropped on your head as a child?”

Another laugh could be heard from inside the mansion and captured both of their attention. What Naegi wasn’t prepared for was Shinobu to push past Byakuya and pull him into a hug

“You are too cute, Makoto. I didn’t think anyone still used that line in this decade.” She said while ruffling his hair

“Can you stop making fools of all of us and leave? I mean both of you by the way.” Togami said, he seemed to have regained a bit of his ire at the motion.

“U-um, yeah I guess I’ll be going now. Thanks for having me.” Naegi broke out of the Shinobu’s hold and waved goodbye to the newly established Togami siblings. Byakuya was the only one who didn’t reciprocate the gesture. 

\---

The classmates had all gathered by  a campfire at Hifumi's call. All but two.

_Huh that’s weird. I don’t see Ikusaba around. Is she with her sister again? Those two are always sneaking off together._

“Now then ladies and gentlemen. Permit the venerable me to ask: Have you heard about the tale of the Witch of Jabberwock Island?” Hifumi asked

“Power of Christ compels you. Demon, begone. Haku Shakazulu.” Hagakure chanted ominously while clasping both hands above his head.

“...Like I was saying, rumor has it there used to be a witch who lived here a thousand years ago. The story is she started off as an ordinary girl who washed ashore on the island after a shipwreck. The natives feared she was cursed and summoned the local priest to perform an exorcism however he claimed to have found no traces of evil spells. Despite the priest's diagnosis, the inhabitants avoided interacting with the girl and would only scorn and bully her from afar. While they had no decisive evidence, they still called her a demon because they couldn't understand her language, her name or even where she came from. Her lack of expression and indifference to their hatred only made them all the more uneasy.  Afterwards, the inhabitants began contracting strange diseases and misfortune, even the great priest was said to have died. They blamed the foreigner  and made her into a sacrifice to appease the island's God.  She was tortured and beaten for 16 days before she finally died after being run through with a spear and was left to bleed out to death. The natives later  burned her corpse witch-trial style and left it there, forbidding anyone to get near it.The scary part is what comes next." The author let up to allow the tension to build before continuing.

"Days later when some of the more curious children came to check, the charred remains had vanished. The inhabitants went into a frenzy trying to find who was responsible but no evidence was ever found. Later on, the community began to change. Some mysteriously committed suicide, some said they saw the witch's ghost at night and others were driven to murder their own families. The island soon turned into a sea of blood ridden with mutilated bodies and demons taken human form. And then one morning came and  there were none left alive; The legend has it that all of this was the result of the witch's revenge and that she still roams around to these parts even to this day, spreading Despair to all who visit."  Yamada finished 

“Shut the hell up dude. No way any of that’s real, I’ll bet Fukawa-chi’s life on it!” Hagakure said

“W-Why not your own, y-you stupid con-artist?” Fukawa glared daggers at the clairvoyant

Togami scoffed in contempt

“Do you commoners always put so much stock in heresay?”

“He’s right. I’m sure the rumor is just an attraction for customers otherwise there'd be incidents all the time and this area would be off-limits.” Chihiro replied

A low rumbling sound came shortly after

“FOR THE LOVE OF ODIN, SHE’S HERE! Ogre, throw Yama-cchi at her.” The psychic screamed as he grabbed both ends of his outlandish hair

“I’m afraid you may be overestimating Sakura's abilities if you think even she is capable of such a feat; lifting Hifumi 3 feet above ground I mean.” The formerly quiet Celeste chimed in. She appeared to have been somewhat engrossed in the story.

“Besides, I believe that sound came from Makoto.” The gothic Lolita continued

“Ehehe, guess I’m pretty hungry. We should go eat right?” Naegi said, a few nods being sent his way as they cleared the area and headed for the hotel one after the other.

“Naegi, wait.” Makoto turned his head over to meet the Togami Heir as he was about to leave

“That idiotic story the buffoon told earlier. Did you know there’s an addition to it?” Togami said, his fingers immaculately pressing on his glasses  
Naegi looked at him puzzled

“I’ll take your slow-timed response as an answer. Assuming you aren’t being your usual dull-witted self anyway and that's a rather bold assumption, I must admit.” At this point, Makoto knew, or at least hoped, Togami didn’t mean what he said. The bespectacled teen just had a nigh-unbreakable compulsion to insult everything that moved like it was second nature. Underneath it all, he was arguably the most honest and straightforward person the Luckster knew.

“The idea of a witch on these islands is indeed a common folktale however they also say that many years back, a group of Hope’s Peak academy students were mercilessly killed by her on their vacation. What do you make of that?”

Makoto stared at Togami slack-jawed, wondering what side of the field that curveball came from “Y-You’re just trying to scare me right? There’s no way something like that could happen. It’d be all over the news if it did.” He said hurriedly

Togami smirked and silently walked off in the direction of the others, leaving Naegi by himself

“What’s with him? ...Wait, wasn’t he the one who said spreading rumors and believing heresay was a waste of time? Why would he even bring it up?”

  ---

Hajime woke up the next morning and prepared to head out. His thoughts were still a bit disgruntled by the story shared by the statue on the previous night.

Why am I letting something like that bother me? I may be a bit of a scrub but never that pathetic…usually.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice he bumped into somebody

“Sorry about that” Hinata said

“This is far too disappointing. I’m actually surprised that it’s too much to ask for a talentless reserve course student such as yourself to be a little coordinated.” The person Hajime had unfortunately collided with was none other than the marshmallow-haired jackass himself

“…I said my bad and the last thing I want is to pick a fight with you guys.”

“You guys? I suppose that’s flattering, loosely speaking. Problem is, I’m really not worthy to be placed in the same bracket as all the others. Misguided or not though, who am I to shy away from a compliment? The name’s Nagito Komaeda, I trust you can remember that much.”

That the last sentence was almost phrased as a question irked Hajime to no end

“Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you.”

“That’s quite the cordial greeting, Hinata. A bit bothersome too now that I think about it.”

“Why is that?”

“Chiaki and Miss Yukizome bugged me all night about approaching you with...respect and kindness. It truly is amazing how benevolent the talents at Hope’s peak are to be so merciful to scum, don’t you think?”

It was quickly becoming apparent to Hajime that he was standing in front of an Ultimate fanboy he could never hope to comprehend.

“Oh there I go forgetting again. The point was I had to act appropriately and since it was technically an order; I should have done my best to follow. Problem is, I may have messed up a bit a few seconds ago greeting you that way while you retained your composure in spite of it. Either this means you’re really good at knowing your place or I’m even more incompetent by comparison. Really, I feel like I’ve lost to you in a way.”

_What the hell is he going on about?_

“I’m rather bad at explaining myself. What I’m trying to say is, let’s do our best at playing nice” Komaeda said, his smile seeming a bit forced however Hajime complied regardless.

“Sure.”

The two begrudgingly shook hands. Afterwards went on their separate ways

“Ah one more thing.” Komaeda called from behind him

“I suggest you stay away from Izayoi and Ruruka from the upper class. They’re not exactly the most accommodating sort, even for some of the other Ultimates. Ruruka would have a field day with a reserve flunky like you since Kimura isn’t here to keep her in check.”

Hajime took his warning to heart and walked off searching for Chiaki. On his way, he spotted Ibuki Mioda leaving the men's barracks

“Hajimeme found Ibuki and she was being real sneaky too.” She appeared to have noticed him as well

“Hinata or Hajime is fine. ” He was somewhat perturbed by her choice of words

“Got it, Ibuki will aaabsolutely remember this time, 100%.”

“So what are you doing over here?”

“Ibuki had to drop something off in one of the boy's rooms.”

“I see. Did you see Chiaki on your way over? She wasn’t feeling well yesterday so I thought I’d check on her.” Hajime said.

“OOOOOH, is that how it is? Ibuki gets it so your secret’s safe with me…as long as you help me out.” Ibuki said quickly. The Ultimate Singer really did have an overwhelmingly energetic presence.

“I think you lost me a few steps back and what was that last part?”

“It’s obvious Hajimeme, why else would you spend that much time with together when you’ve barely spoken to the rest of us?”

Hajime didn’t understand fully but it was enough to know the singer was under quite a few misunderstandings. His feelings for Chiaki (which he wouldn’t readily admit to anyone) aside, the reason is actually that everyone else is too intimidating.

“Hey we’re not together all the time, Chiaki even said there’s some amazing person who she's friends with. I haven't seen her that much in the past while”

“That pretty vague.” Ibuki said unconvinced

“That's what I said. Guess this person is outstanding even among the other Ultimates.”

“Hmm, in that case Ibuki thinks class rep might be talking about Junko.”

_Who?_

“Heeeey, Hajimeme didn’t say all this just to distract me did he? I'm having a solo at the Typhoon in a few days. Make sure you come or else.” She demanded before storming off

“Its only morning and I’m already exhausted. She didn’t even answer the question”

“What question? And did you know mumbling to yourself in broad daylight is a sign of insanity, Hajime?”

Hajime almost yelped in surprise as Chiaki's voice came from behind him.

“I ought to put a bell on you. How’s it going Chiaki? I was looking for you before I ran into Mioda. She practically forced me into going to her show.”

“Ibuki did? Maybe that’s what she’s been up to.  In that case, she probably just wants you to mix with everyone and is using her offer as an excuse. You are pretty rigid.”

“That’s…definitely true but I don’t think it’s something so easily solved. There’s too big a gap between us.”

“We’re back to  _this_  again? Hajime, how do you feel about me?”

“Isn't that question totally unfair?”

“No it isn’t, just answer. Do you feel intimidated by me or not?”

“A little.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that and you said ‘no’. Now do you think I’m inferior to my friends?”

“Definitely no.”

“I thought as much. So what’s the problem then? Just treat them like you treat me.”

_That’s impossible for more reasons than one_

“You know, we weren’t always as friendly as we are now. Last year, almost nobody attended class and we barely hung out together. Everyone was too busy focusing on improving their talents to think of a genuine school life as any use.”

“That’s a surprise.”

“It is right? But Miss Yukizome told me even I could use a talent like gaming to achieve my goals and thanks to that, I was able to bring everyone together. It looks to me like Ibuki’s trying to do the same for you. I think it’d be fair to at least give her a chance.” She said with a hopeful smile

“When you put it that way, I don't have a choice but to show up.”

“Glad to hear it. I won’t be going though.”

“Do you have plans? With her, I’m assuming? ”

“Yup since concerts really aren’t my scene. Speaking of which, you’ll need these.” Chiaki pulled some ear buds out of her bag and placed them on Hajime’s hands "These are special buds Hope's Peak made me to help focus on gaming. Even the effects of Ibuki's singing can mostly be blocked out with this. Just keep them on until you get used to the pitch."

“Isn’t it kind of rude to Mioda?”

“A bit but I’m sure you’d agree your life’s more important.”

“What exactly am I getting into here?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later.”

 ---

 

Chiaki wasn’t wrong, as Hajime confirmed at the Typhoon a few days later. Ibuki Mioda’s singing could kill a man; there was no other way to explain it. The others seemed to find it relatively bearable, likely due to prior exposure.

After 30 minutes passed, he took the ear buds off and at least became used to the singer's style. He had a goal in mind here after all. He owed it to Mioda and Chiaki to at least make an attempt in blending in with the crowd so he approached some of the other members of the class. Some were easier to get along with, particularly Kazuichi Souda. The reserve course student had noticed the shark-toothed mechanic was one of the less serious Ultimates given his antics on Central Island a few days back. Hinata noticed the mechanic slumped on a counter, seemingly depressed

"Yo, what's got you down?" Hajime said, trying his best not to let his nervousness get the best of him

"Who's asking? Oh, you're that Hinata guy right? Surprised you showed up to this thing." The mechanic responded

"Yeah, figured it'd be nice getting to know everyone else."

"Took you over a week for that? Well better late than never. Just look over there." Hinata's eyes trailed over in the direction of the mechanics fingers and saw Sonia Nevermind and Gundam Tanaka together.

"Ah, I see." Hinata mused. It was no secret that Souda liked Sonia and that she didn't quite reciprocate that.

"I know right, I'd drink my problems away right now but Miss Yukizome would force me to swim across the island. I've still got time before I have to go work on a big project, let's hang till then Hinata. Don't think I've properly introduced myself; name's Kazuichi Souda but call me Kazuichi.

"Sure. Name's Hajime but you already kind of knew that."

It only got easier from there with Souda as his wingman and by the end of the night; he had become well acquainted with most of Chiaki’s friends barring Togami, Tsumiki, Saionji, Komaeda and Owari. None of which seemed to show any interest in him or like Tsumiki, was too scared to apprach. Afterwards, Kazuichi bid his goodbyes and left as well.

Hajime was about to leave before the singer jumped him

"Weeeeell. How'd you like Ibuki's singing, Hajimeme?" She prodded ecstatically

"I see you already forgot you were supposed to call me and the music was...interesting. It definitely takes talent to pull it off." Hinata stressed

"Aha, Ibuki knew you had good taste. Too bad, you could have made a great band mate."

"Thanks I guess. Shame Chiaki couldn't make it."

"Oh that's fine, class rep has never liked my music anyways. Stuff like that isn't for everybody you know?" She said with a somber smile

Hajime was almost taken aback by how abruptly dispirited the singer's mood turned. As in, she was speaking normally but that was  _abnormal_  for Ibuki Mioda. Now he really felt bad about those ear buds.

"Don't worry about it too much. You're the ultimate singer, if you were chosen by HPA then that means there isn't anyone else in the world who is as talented in the field as you are." Hajime reassured her

"...Is that so? Yeah, maybe it is. Thanks Hajimeme, Ibuki definitely feels better now." Ibuki appeared to have cheered up somewhat however  Hajime couldn't help but notice it was a little forced. It appeared Ibuki in turn, also noticed this. "Really don't worry, I just need to improve so everyone will accept my style. Hajime...I'll catch you later."

Back at his cottage, Hajime was thinking over what he would call a successful night asides opening his big mouth at the end, maybe the ultimates really weren’t all that different after all.

In that case, there may be no need to…

His doorbell rang abruptly. Hajime got off the bed and opened the door to be met with Yukizome

“Hey there Hinata, do you have a moment?”

“I guess.”

“I heard you had quite a good time at Ibuki’s concert. I was worried you would be uncomfortable out here so I came to check up and see if anything’s changed.”

“I think so. Your class isn’t as intimidating as I thought they were. Thanks to you and Chiaki, I’ve begun to think I may have gotten carried away. Talent isn’t all that important, right?”

Yukizome tilted her head and gave off an expression indicating she may not have been wholly comfortable with his remark “That's quite dangerous thinking. You may have misinterpreted our advice.”

"I did? What's wrong with what I said?” he asked

“Because that way of thinking is a bit naïve. The opinion that normalcy Is something to fear is definitely a wrong one however you’re moving to the opposite extreme when you believe talent means little. Listen Hinata, there are feats those with talent are capable of that others will never match no matter how hard they try. Naturally, if there is no effort made to develop those talents, they may as well be worthless but that is rarely the case in Hope’s Peak Academy. It is unrealistic to think effort alone will allow you to surpass others who make the same effort but have more natural ability. ”

“I see.” Hajime said, feeling somewhat disheartened as his newfound confidence was evidently misplaced

“Hey now, that doesn’t mean you have an excuse not to try your best, young man. I feel a bit bad about this but as a teacher, it’d be wrong if I didn’t give you advice based on experience. The point is that if talent didn’t reward humans with advantages over others, it wouldn’t be called talent in the first place. It is better in the long run if you recognize that early on but what matters, is how confronting those boundaries afterwards. Effort and hard work will never betray you however it may betray your dreams therefore it is vital to temper your expectations.”

_Miss Yukizome sounds pretty adamant about this and knowledgeable too._

“Thanks for the advice. That said, I couldn’t help but notice you said ‘speaking from experience’. Are you referring to someone in particular then?”

“Hehehe. You caught on to that huh, thought I covered my tracks a bit. Sorry but can’t tell, having intimate secrets is the perks of being an adult” She said while wagging her finger “And speaking of intimacy, I ran into Chiaki a little while ago and she told me she wasn’t at the concert, you know anything about that?”

“I’ll ignore the first bit and for the second, Chiaki told me she earlier she would be someone this evening.”

“Alone?”

“No, Mioda said she might be with a student named Junko.”

“Junko? I don’t think I know anybody with that name. Oh well, I kept you a bit longer than I planned. What I meant to say was for you kids not to move around. The typhoon should be coming in around midnight so be careful. See you tomorrow morning, Hinata." The teacher soon departed, likely to warn the other students of the incoming rain.

Hajime closed the door behind her and got ready for bed. Before he reached it however, he heard another ring of his doorbell

_What is it this time?_

“Hi, Hajime. Do you have time right now?” Chiaki said, standing outside Hinata's doorway

“Chiaki? Can’t it wait for tomorrow?”

_Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her that much lately_

“Not really. I was leaving the hotel and I think I saw one of the girls run into the abandoned building; judging from their appearance at least.”

“Well there’s nobody else on this island so that should be obvious. Don’t see why we have to bother about it though; is this your inner class rep talking?”

“It’d be trouble if somebody got hurt. I came to ask you for help but if you’re not up to it, I could go by myself.”

“Now that’s out of the question. Alright I’ll come too.”

The eerie building stood a good distance from the hotel. The windows were shattered; the front door was broken down and replaced with a warning sign forbidding entrance. It appeared the building was due for renovations however the island was still home to a high-class resort therefore the wreck In front of Hajime couldn’t feel any more out of place.

He was cut off by a small yelp from the gamer and noticed she was sweating somewhat

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Hajime was starting to think Chiaki was a lot more afraid than she let on

“Yes...I think. Shall we go?” Chiaki said.

“Y-Yeah.” Hajime replied nervously

The duo brushed the sign inside and pushed open the partly battered door. Hajime could see nothing but pitch blackness inside, they wouldn’t find a thing without some kind of lighting. Luckily he had brought a flashlight.

“Good call, Hajime. I could barely see my away over here. No chance of that in there.”

“No problem.” Hajime responded although, he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something off about that statement

Flicking the flashlight on, they marched into the building. Creaking sounds erupted from beneath their feet with each step. One misstep and it felt like the rotting floorboards would give in under their weight. Shifting the light on both sides, Hajime noticed a run-down washroom pm the right and an opening leading to a large empty room further on the left. Suddenly he heard what seemed to be a window shattering and strong wind rushing in.  Hajime rushed over to the sound and didn't notice anyone breaking in or leaving, the storm must have picked up and blown through the weak glass.

“Are you sure you weren’t seeing things, Chiaki? We’re not exactly being discreet. If someone was here, they’d have noticed us a while ago. Should we keep going?”

No reply came

Hajime made a sharp turn to look behind him and found nothing. The Ultimate gamer had vanished into thin air. His mind began racing, primarily centralized on how he hadn't noticed her disappearance.

The boy turned around to search for her and found nothing.

_This doesn’t make any sense; I’m the one with the flashlight. There’s no way she’d be able to maneuver around here. Chiaki also said she didn’t have a way to see in the night so how was she able to tell whoever came in here was a student, much less a girl? The vantage point between here and the hotel’s entrance was several meters, there’s no way Chiaki could have made them out._

_Was…she taken?_

The boy’s breathing became heavier trying to assess the worst-case scenario. After a few moments, he came to a realization. “No, there’s no way anyone was close enough, the floorboards are too loud. Nobody could have taken Chiaki unless they could levitate or fly and that was ridiculous. To pull that off, you’d have to be a-“ Hajime stopped himself

Now that was ridiculous. The outlandish assumption  actually helped calm his nerves somewhat and entrench him back in reality. There was a simple answer for this

“I get it now. They’re all playing me.”

Chiaki odd behavior, two teenagers walking into an abandoned building by themselves and one of them mysteriously disappearing? It was like a script out of a b-rated movie. The ordeal was staged as a means of trying to frighten him by Chiaki and her accomplices. They scoured out the area beforehand so that’s why Chiaki could vanish somehow. The events all made sense when putting them into perspective.

_Though wouldn’t that also mean I’m a 3rd rate actor? Ugh, never mind. I’ll just play along until I find them._

Hajime’s couldn’t help but think back to his near miss of an assumption. “A mechanical killer teddy bear forcing high school-ers into a killing game? There's no way a concept that stupid could work. I’m the one who’s crazy for letting Kazuichi's story get to me. "

Hajime continued to wander. Searching rooms wherever he could while dirt from contact with the unsanitary environment began to pile up on his clothes. He had just gone through the kitchen where he found an assortment of knives and skewers. He made a mental note to stay the hell away from that area. Several more minutes passed as Hajime kept searching until he hit a dead end and there was only a wall left to face him The reserve student had checked all the rooms, moved through the hallways but couldn’t find any signs of life. His ability to think rationally dropped significantly as his nerves were once again on the fritz.

_What the hell is going on here!?_

He’d had enough. He was tired beyond belief and the rush of adrenaline wasn’t making his thoughts any more stable. Hajime’s only option was to turn around and leave.

“Looks like a dead end over there, Hajime.”

As he was startled for what seemed like the 12th time in 3 days, Chiaki stood behind him, only with her black sweater missing. There were no screams nor did Hajime even move…or rather, he was unable. His heart felt like it had stopped and sent him into a temporary state of paralysis.

“Um, are you alright?” The gamer asked, a worried expression on her face

“Of Course I’m not fucking alright! What the hell do you think you’re playing at going off on your own like that!?” Hajime wasn’t normally the type to resort to anger, much less to his crush under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, his current situation was far from normal and he was at his wits end evidenced by his profuse sweating and shivering

“Sorry. There was something I really needed to take care off and…well I can’t really tell you.” She said almost breathless

Hajime didn’t buy her words for an instant. There were too many inconsistencies to brush off for that statement to function coherently…but he dismissed it regardless. If he followed-up in his accusations, he was going to say something he would regret.

As Hajime walked passed her, he felt arms tangle around his torso from behind

“Chiaki? What are you doing!?” His voice cracked and pitched simultaneously

“If this is the only way I can make it up to you then…”

_There are plenty of oth-_

She turned Hajime around to face her and then planted her lips on his

At this point, Hajime’s brain was struggling immensely to remain functioning. The stress in his body gave way to pleasure as he returned the kiss. In the back of his mind however, Hajime couldn’t shake the feeling that this was wrong

That doubt withered away completely when the shorter girl’s hands slithered down from Hajime’s chest to his inner thigh. That was the end of all resistance Hajime Hinata could put up. His mind had dizzied as he felt his body was heating up. All he could rationalize was that he needed to get these clothes of him…and her.

“So, should we head over to your room or mine?” The pinkette said

There was nothing for the boy to do but give in to the temptation and follow. Had Hajime Hinata retained the ability to think clearly, he may  have noticed the disappearance of the knives and skewers in the open kitchen.

 ---

He woke up the next morning, exhausted.

The previous night had been far too wild and he had enjoyed every minute of it.

He took a shower and combed his unruly brown hair

He lamented on how he couldn’t find one of his items no matter where he searched but he had more important things to do. Meals needed to be prepared after all.

As usual, he had been the first to arrive at the hotel while everyone else was likely still asleep.

As usual, he began sorting out the ingredients from the cupboards

Something was different however. There was a red-colored soup leaking out from the fridge. He assumed someone had forgotten to properly close the lid and this was the result after the storm. 

Therefore it was only natural for him to open the refrigerator to resolve the issue 

Time seemed to have slowed down to a crawl as he did. Every second felt like an eternity as his senses were heightened to the limit. Consequently. it was surprisingly easy to count the passing moments, even as his muddled mind tried to make out what laid before him.

If someone had asked how long it took for to fully process the sight? He would have said 36 seconds.

If someone had asked how long it took him to realize the moisture in his throat had dissipated into nothing and that bile had begun swarm its way up his throat? He would have said 24 seconds

If someone had asked how long it took to become aware that he had wet himself? He would have said 49 seconds

However, if someone had asked how long it took to realize he had begun screaming at the sight of Hajima Hinata’s mutilated corpse staring back at him from inside the fridge? Even within this slowed time, Teruteru Hanamura would not be able to give them an answer.

And none on the island were spared that piercing wail

 

Makoto Naegi prepared to set out on a sunny morning, his hair as unruly as ever and his cheeks flushed with life.

As he opened the door and went towards the hotel for breakfast, something soft bumped into him from behind, making the unlucky student fall flat on his face.

“Whoops. Sorry about that short stuff.” A voluptuous beauty said having fell on top of him and currently sitting on his back

Makoto recognized the voice as he turned his head around from his position. It was Ikusaba’s younger sister and a girl who seemed to have her head in the clouds constantly. Still, she and Makoto were famous for getting along quite well despite their conflicting personalities.

Naegi wondered if this was a sign of a good or bad luck while the girl got off him and held out her hand

“No problem, this is kind of the usual for me. Good morning, Ryouko.” Naegi reached out for it

 

_Regrets #1: If I had taken your hand like this on that day...maybe I could have saved you._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who may be confused, the events in this chapter are not all in chronological order. 
> 
> This would be my first fic ever and I've pretty much got the story outlined. I also intend to make use of the vast majority of the cast and have them stay IC as much as possble. I got inspired by a few series and thought some story elements would blend nicely in DR's setting.
> 
> Feedback and especially criticism are appreciated


	2. Primo Sangue / First Blood

“You look pretty frail. Are you sure you’re not hurt…Makoto, right?”  Ryouko struggled to recall his the spiky-haired boy’s name as she helped bring him to his feet

“No really, I’m fine. Although it’s nice to see you remembered me this time.”  He was half-joking but he grimaced at the memories of times when she didn’t. Some instances had mundane consequences but others weren’t nearly as pretty. The worst nearly got him a visit to the police station.

Makoto knew the girl suffered from an amnesiac disorder as long as she could remember, or couldn’t in her case. Ryouko’s memories were known to chronically fade at unknown intervals which left her with a disturbingly carefree mindset and as a result, she refrained from interacting with anyone but Ikusaba throughout the beginning of the year.

Speaking of which… “Have you seen your sister around anywhere?” He asked

“What? I thought she was right behind me.” The redhead searched in every direction but to no avail

“I feel like I should know the answer to this. Give me a second.” Ryouko pulled out a notebook from inside her vest and flipped through it. She stopped at a certain page with machine-like precision.  

“Honestly, that sister of mine…” She closed the notebook and returned her softened attention towards him “Mukuro’s probably somewhere nearby and there _is_ a surefire way to get her to show up.”

“How?”

“Easy. You just need to leave.” She said, deadpanned

“Seriously!?” He yelped. He knew the Ultimate Soldier was uncomfortable with his presence at times but he didn’t think she disliked him that much

The girl clutched her stomach with both hands as she laughed “I’m screwing with you.” 

Makoto pouted but  he couldn’t help but be impressed by Ryouko’s progress. Upon learning of her condition, Makoto had confronted her because it wasn’t in his nature to leave others out. 

Ryouko had explained her situation is simple terms; she saw no point in getting involved with people she wouldn’t remember.  Makoto thought it was a waste but he had to have hope which is why he spent a(n) ~~un~~ reasonable amount of time the following evening thinking of a way to overcome her boundaries.  Eventually, he settled on buying the amnesiac a notebook in place of memory storage and, well, he thought girls liked diaries.

He wasn’t sure she’d accept his offer at first but all that meant was that he’d need to be more persistent. As clear as day, his efforts seemed to have paid off.

 “So are we just going to stand here all day and keep the food waiting? Get moving and lead the way, shorty.” She abruptly turned Makoto around and started pushing him towards the lounge from behind.

With Makoto facing front, Ryouko turned her head backwards where her blue eyes met a pair of pale ones. The owner was expertly hidden behind a palm tree a few meters behind and stalking them.

True to her title. An average person like Naegi would never be able to detect the Ultimate Soldier if she actively chose to camouflage herself…however, average would be an unbefitting description of the Ultimate Analyst, Ryouko Otonashi.

\---

The restaurant appeared to be full, save Asahina and Sakura.  Ryouko had walked passed him to sit at a table nearby Kyouko and Sayaka.

“Can’t. Breathe.”  Makoto wheezed out, finding himself in a headlock by the Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon Kuwata.

“You’ve got guts trying to nab the class hottie under my watch!” Leon said

“That’s enough, kids. Can we not do anything that might get me fired please?” A tall man in a white tuxedo and fedora addressed the students

Leon let the smaller boy go “You do a good job of that yourself. If we pitch in you’ll get the axe for sure, Kizakura.”

Celestia Ludenberg put down her expensive Royal milk tea and placed her decorated finger on the tip of her nose “That smell…have you been drinking again?” She posed the question to the fedora

“Is that a problem?” Kizakura replied

Several groans could be heard in the background. Makoto felt the air grow colder, particularly in the area around a certain detective.

“Not at all, I’m just waiting for the opportune moment to ensnare you in a wager. Nothing’s quite as profitable as trouncing a drunken opponent out of everything they’ve got.” The gambler answered with crossed fingers and sported a smile that didn’t bother to obfuscate her intentions.

The direction of the conversation shifted when Kiyokata stood up and exaggeratedly raised his finger against the elder man, as he often did.

“That is not the issue here, classmate Celes! Mr. Kizakura, May I remind you that you are a TEACHER and SUPERVISOR here!? Such callous behavior this early in the morning is-“

“not welcome in a school environment, we get it” Several monotone voices resounded across the room

“They fight over this more than my band mates. How many times does this make?”

“73 and counting, Ms. Maizono.”

“Geez  guys, we’re not even _in_ school.”

“He’s not some one-dimensional character in one of those f-filthy manga. When is he going to quit it with that lazy gimmick?”

“I’ll read his future and check for 100 bucks.”

“I’ll take that deal. Can’t spend everything they pay me for this gig on booze money.” Kizakura said. Kiyotaka looked to be seconds from exploding at the remark before a powerful arm grabbed his shoulder

“Like I’ve been telling you bro, just let it go.” Mondo said, his expression looking every bit as fed up as the others

Kiyotaka reluctantly conceded “Very well, I suppose I can let it slide given the occasion _however_ , that is part of the problem. We’re all minors on  a reserved island and we need a capable and SOBER adult figure to supervise if anything goes wrong.”

“That'a what you’re worried about? What do you think the academy gave you those bracelets for?” Kizakura pointed to the accessories strapped to the wrists of all the students

Makoto looked towards his right wrist where a black-and-white themed bracelet was latched on.  Every member of the class had received one upon setting foot on Jabberwock Island.

“The bracelets are meant to keep track of your location at all times. As long as they’re on, even If one of you bright kids goes missing, we just use the academy’s resources and find the signal, easy. Pity they’re not very stylish.” Kizakura mused

“I don’t think someone who wears a fedora in this decade has any right to talk about fashion.” Kyouko finally spoke up with a venomous tone

 _She was definitely waiting for that opening_ Makoto thought

Mondo and Kiyotaka stepped back, predicting that the mood was about to take a turn for the worse.

However, the stab at his fashion sense didn’t appear to affect the man “Ouch, Kyouko.  Now is that any way to speak to your beloved and diligent teacher?”

“A teacher who lost the class attendance sheet on the first day.” She snapped back

“In my defense? I didn’t lose them; the damn things vanished like magic. Besides, there are only 16 of you kids. 17 if you count me and well…pretty sure Munakata and Juzo already high-tailed it out of here.”  He  shrugged haphazardly

Kyouko prepared to retaliate further before being called by out Sayaka

“Come on Kyouko, you promised we’d swimming today. We have to get ready. ” Sayaka clasped the detective’s gloved hand

“…I suppose promises are meant to be kept.” The lavender-haired girl tried to sound calm but anyone could tell her tone had lost the usual edge and the icy demeanor she had moments prior had melted completely

Makoto almost didn’t how Kyouko tossed a quick look at him before being dragged off by the idol.

_Huh? Did I get something on my face? Oh wait, I haven’t eaten yet so that can’t be right_

_More importantly I wonder when those two got so close._

“Beats me.” “Perhaps some Yuri action at last?” Hagakure and Hifumi chimed in

“Did I say that out loud?” Makoto muttered

“You think? Guess we know who can’t keep a secret to save his life.” Ryouko teased

“Well, now that we've got that out of the way…Hagakure, about that reading.” Koichi placed a wad of cash in the fortune-teller’s palm

 Hiro gazed at his crystal ball for a few moments before looking back up “From what I can see, Taka’ll stop soon, real soon.”

 The instructor shook his head in mock disappointment “Piece of advice Hagakure, the trick to a scam is to make the deal sound a liiitle~ less bullshit. Guess we’ll chalk this up to the failed 70%.”

“Um e-excuse me, Mr. Kizakura?” Said the smallest individual in the room, the Ultimate Programmer Chihiro Fujisaki

“Need something?”

“Did you forget already? I’m supposed to complete a project the practical exams here and I’d like to receive permission to use the research facility at the 5th island.”

“Thinking of the assessments already. As expected of Ms.Chihiro, thinking so far ahead suits you.” Hifumi praised, to which Leon gave him an unimpressed gaze

“You, know he’s a dude right?” the athlete droned out, stating the obvious

“It doesn’t matter as long as it’s cute.” Hifumi responded, undeterred in his beliefs

“You know something?  I can agree with that.”

“ _Can we not!?_ ” Chihiro pleaded

 “Relax Chi, I'm just messing around. Besides I’ve got more important things that need doing right now sooo Makoto, let’s get going.” The moment after Leon’s declaration, the luckster felt an arm grab his hoodie and jerk him backwards to the exit.  The athlete’s physical prowess was truly outstanding. Makoto didn’t even have time to voice any complaints before he was dragged out of the room

_But I haven’t eaten yet…_

_\---_

“So what are we doing here?” Makoto grumbled, evidently not in the best of moods. Leon seemed to ignore that fact however as they sat opposite to each other at the diner on second island near the ocean.

“Makoto. Be my partner” Leon declared

“Leon, there’s this thing called context. I would really appreciate it if you used it here."

“Isn’t it obvious already? The guys at my old school would get it right away.”

“In that case, couldn’t you ask the others to help you out with…whatever _this_ is?” Makoto groaned

“You’re kidding right? Hiro’s a dead beat, Yamada’s into 2D, Mondo can’t go within 2 ft of a cute girl without flipping his shit and Taka’s plain impossible. It has to be you by elimination.”

“What about Togami?”

“He’s a prick.”

“That's a bit harsh.”

“Pfft, says you. Forget about that right now because I need you to be my wingman.” Leon explained  

“...There’s nobody else on this island for us to do that with…unless you mean our _friends_? I don’t think that’s how it works, Leon. You don’t pick up girls you know and besides, they’d see right through it and call you a creep.”

The athlete took on a competitive grin, apparently expecting the other boy's response “It’d only be super awkward if I went there alone but that’s why I’ve got you, shrimp. You’ve got that whole virg- nice and harmless aura some girls like , plus you’re short. If you’re there with me then I’ll be safe by association.” He said, as he caught himself. He then leans forwards and places both hands on Makoto’s shoulders “Come on, buddy. I’ll make it up to you.”

Makoto sighed and resigned himself to fate “I’ll play along. What's the worst that could happen?”

“YES! Now for the plan. First, here’s your gear.”

\---

Several minutes later, the door to the diner opened as Hina and Sakura entered, the former muttering something about donuts before catching the duo lounging around “What are you two doing here?” She probed

Naegi, now dressed in a summer hoodie and swimming trunks greeted the swimmer “Hina, Leon’s trying to-” Leon clasped a hand over the luckster’s mouth before anything more could slip out

“ _We’re_ going for a swim at the beach later. Nothing suspicious here, babe.” He said quickly

Hina gave them a puzzled look “ _You and Him? Alone?_ Wow, I didn’t know the two of you were so _close_.” She said

“W-we’ve always been like this. This is pretty normal for us.” Makoto replied, playing up the charade and to which Hina gasped. A red tint apparent on her face

“Hina my girl, you likely have the wrong idea.”  The ogre said before addressing the boys

“I must say, your timing is rather impressive because Sayaka had asked us the other day to accompany them. Unfortunately, we had to decline as Hina’s training requires time.”  Sakura mused with a knowing gaze seemed to pierce through them

“Now there’s a coincidence if I’ve seen one. Isn’t that right, Naeggs?” Leon said

“Y-Yeah”

“Hehehe, I’m not really getting it but I have a feeling that this is one of those moments where I’m better off not knowing.” Asahina said

“An astute observation, Hina.” Sakura acknowledged “We have matters to attend to therefore I trust the two of you know to behave yourselves.” 

The ogre cracked her knuckles as Makoto and Leon rapidly shook their heads in perfect synch. Sakura reciprocated the gesture with a nod of her own and left with Asahina.

“Nice, they totally bought it. Knew I was flawless.” Leon said, wiping sweat off his forehead

Makoto gave the orange-hair a semi-cold stare “I’m starting to think even my optimism is average when compared to you.”  

“Stuff it, shorty. I mean that literally.  Seems like we’ve still got time, go do something useless like eating since you skipped breakfast. ” 

_So he noticed after all_

 

_\---_

Around an hour passed. They had moved out of the diner and onto the beach

“Makoto…and _Leon_?” A voice called out to them

The boys traced their gaze towards the door and looked over the ultimate pop idol wearing what appeared to be a two-piece bikini. The lower half of her waist covered by a dangerously low-reaching beach dress

“Holy shit. That swimsuit’s from her photo album,” Leon mouthed almost breathlessly. Makoto was in a similar state of awe

_Maybe Leon really is a genius. Mom was right, I shouldn’t doubt my friends._

“If the both of you keep your mouths open like that, some foreign venomous fly might just find a way down your throats. Then again, watching you choke on it may not be so bad.”

*Whistle* Leon called out to the newcomer. It was Kyouko who was wearing similar attire, only in velvet black and her gloves ever-presently covering her hands.

“Just so you know Kyouko, I’ve got a comeback for that but it’d probably end in me permanently buried in sand. “ Leon joked while the lilac-haired girl cracked a small smile

“As long as you’re aware.”  Her amusement didn’t last however as she faded back into her stoic persona “Now what's your business here? I really hope you’re not about to use coincidence as an excuse.”

”Man, you girls sure are paranoid. I hear that sort of thing is bad for your health. Right Makoto?”

Leon received no response and looked to see the other boy frozen, and his face as red as a cherry.

“Snap out of it, man.” The orange-hair violently shook the luckster

“Q-Quit it, I’m fine.”  He said still flushed and transparently refusing to look in the girls’ direction.

 “I've seen enough. This clearly wasn't Makoto's idea.” Kyouko analyzed, her gloves resting on her chin

“Wow, guess you really are a detective.”

“You don’t need super high school level powers of deduction to see through you. ”

 “Don’t sweat the small stuff and just let us join. You know we’re good for it.” Leon begged

“Hmm, yeah maybe this can work.” The pop idol muttered lowly “Okay Leon, we’ll take you up on that. Feel free to tag along.”

“Sayaka I don’t believe I agreed to-” Maizono suddenly tangled her arms around Kyouko’s own right one, much to the latter's apparent discomfort

“Aw don’t worry, it’ll be fun. I promise. And besides…”  The idol whispered into the detective’s ear

“Very well, I suppose this shouldn’t be hard to deal with. “ Kyouko said.

\---

At some point during the walk across the island, Sayaka had moved side by side with Leon while he and Kyouko trailed behind them. The brown-haired boy was focused on calming his nerves else he’d say something he’d regret.

“Say Kyouko, you look great.”

“Thank you…but I’m already aware. If not before, I definitely was after seeing your reaction earlier, Mr. Open Book.” She teased him with her favorite nickname for the ultimate

Makoto groaned in response

“You’ve got that wrong. I-I was just surprised to see the great and stoic Kyouko Kirigiri putting on something so risqué. What. Were you trying to impress someone?”  It was a childish taunt but he couldn’t resist trying to get a reaction out of her…even if his odds at matching the detective in a battle of wits were virtually non-existent.

As was quickly proven to be the case

“I had no idea.” She said, feigning shock “Well if _you_ say so then it must be true. After all, I’d be foolish to doubt the deductive prowess of someone who got lost on campus and ‘accidentally’ wandered into the girls changing room.”

“Okay, I get it already! I suck, happy?” He whined. That was a memory he definitely didn’t want to relive right now.

The lilac-haired girl shrugged “Your own fault for trying to be spiteful. You’re out of your element.”

“I just haven’t gotten much practice.  Just you wait and watch me pull one over on you someday.”

Kyouko smirked at the challenge “I’ll hold you to that.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent eventfully. Makoto and Kyouko had grown comfortable in each other's presence and spent ample time together. Although Makoto felt it was a tad artificial since they always seemed to end up together. At the very  least, he felt that Sayaka may have been avoiding him. Not _ignoring_ exactly but their relationship felt a bit fractured lately.

 _I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong._ It was a nagging feeling eating away at him but the luckster couldn’t seem to find a chance to talk alone with her. That chance appeared when Makoto noticed Sayaka staring off in the distance and Leon nowhere to be found. 

 _“_ Sayaka, do you have a moment? “ He walked up to her and spoke however he received no reply. The idol’s paid no attention as her eyes glazed over

“Um…Sayaka?” He prodded her with his finger causing the idol to jolt

“Oh Makoto, sorry I was spacing out there.” She said

“Is something bothering you?”

Sayaka gave him a troubled look “Hey, did you notice how the farm over there was empty?”

Makoto remembered there was a ranch on the first island crawling with livestock. He had been too fixated on Kyouko to keep them in mind on the way over

“I didn’t notice anything. Maybe they hid in the barn. There’s a storm coming later and I hear animals can sense danger and stuff.” He proposed, trying to lessen his friend’s anxiety.

“Maybe, but in that case, doesn’t this mean there’s nobody around to take care of them? I get that the school wanted to do us a favor by having the resort to ourselves but leaving no staff behind is a bit too much don’t you think?”

“Sayaka?” He asked out of concern

“I feel there’s something dangerous about this place. At least that’s what my intuition tells me.”

Silence passed for a moment before the girl continued

“Don’t mind me, Makoto.  It’s probably nothing and I’m overthinking things.  Tell Kyouko I’ve had enough for today so I’ll be going back to my room now.”

“Wait up.” Naegi called after her.

She stopped and turned back to face him “Oh right, you needed something?”

“Um, it isn’t that important. I was just wondering if I could talk to you alone.”

“Wow Makoto, I didn’t know you were so bold but I’m an idol ya know.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” He shouted

“I’m kidding. I  think its sweet of you to be worried about me.”

Makoto flushed “You know?”

“Of course, I’m an esper after all. I _want_ to say you have nothing to worry about but you’d do it anyway right?” She shot him an honest smile

“Absolutely.” He answered immediately

“A persistent guy. Alright, I’d do anything for my number one fan so let’s meet up tomorrow then, first thing in the morning.”

“That’ll be great.” The short teen beamed

Sayaka was his first friend at Hope’s peak and he didn’t think he could have made it this far without her keeping him grounded. Still, there didn’t seem to be anything that could be done at the present moment so he just had to manage.

_Wait. Number one fan? Who, me?_

\---

The sun had begun to set and the girls had already left

“So did you have fun?” Leon called out to him. 

 “…Fine, you were right.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, buddy. Screwing around like this is all part of enjoying life.  The real losers are the ones who take it way too seriously and like hell am I letting you end up like Taka.”

Makoto had to chuckle a bit before he stumbled across a realization

"Is that the reason why you’re so ambivalent with your talent?”

“Hmmm. Not really. There was a bunch of reasons for how I got involved in baseball. Kind of a boring story but I’ll tell you if you’ve got nothing better to do.” Leon took on the usual pose when he was contemplating

“Lay it on me.” _Seems like he really wants to anywa-_

The sound of thunder struck, making the luckster shift abruptly

“Though we should probably get back to the cottages while we’re at it unless you want to get caught in the rain” He said as the sky began to turn gray

“Yikes, last thing I want is to fix my hair, let’s get moving.”  The boys ran off towards their cottages, settling on using Naegi’s room.

As they approached the door, Naegi noticed Asahina doing two cottages down. Their eyes met and he called out to her. Strangely enough, she gave a half-hearted wave with her eyes seemingly shifting between him and Leon before widening in shock.

“She definitely has the wrong idea.” Leon said, entering the room

Makoto didn’t really get it himself but he followed suit. Leon had made himself at home and claimed the bed while Makoto sat on the floor

“I guess you could say it began with my cousin, Kanon. So let’s get her out of the way first."

The baseball star proceeded to explain his relationship with Kanon along with the rest of his teammates in his former middle school

“YOU REJECTED HER 4000 TIMES!?” Naegi could barely control himself as he alternated between laughter and pity

“Laugh it up but seriously, Kanon was a pain. Can you believe she tailed me on dates every day at middle school for years and thought that I, her cousin, wouldn’t notice her?” He said, exasperated

“At least I can trust Komaru to never go that crazy.”

“Right forgot you had that sibling complex going. Gross, by the way.”

“Back on track, I gave her a wager saying she had to hit a ball 160 km/h in order to get a chance with me.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Highest female score is 140 km/h.”

“…So you tricked her? That’s horrible!"

“Tricked? No way, dude.  We’re talking about my cousin here, it’s definitely possible. That girl is unreal puts her mind to something. I told you she stalked me right? Well the only reason I knew was because I caught her once. I didn’t _say_ anything but we definitely made eye contact. The problem came after that, as in she kept getting better at hiding.  By the end of the year, I could only feel her presence or something; you know…that feeling you get when you think someone’s watching you.  She might be able to give Ikusaba a run for her money. Either way, I just needed some space for a little while and used this to keep her busy. If she can’t manage it, I’ll just break the deal off, no sweat.” He sounded sure of himself so Makoto chose not to chide him further

“Moving on.  The reason I picked up baseball is because I kinda sorta did have a little crush on Kanon back when we were kids. The whole cousin thing hadn’t kicked in yet so I was pretty hung up on her. The problem was that she was still in her daddy’s little princess phase. My uncle’s this really famous TV bigwig at TAT so I felt pretty lame by comparison.”

Makoto raised a hand “Can we pause for a second? You were trying to compete with your filthy rich uncle for your crush, who is both your cousin AND his daughter, and who you are now going out of your way to ignore?”

“Kids do dumb shit. Sue me.” Leon replied before continuing “My dad wasn’t as well off so I asked him what I could beat my uncle at and I was told he was terrible at sports as a kid. Afterwards, I just tried a whole bunch of em and settled on baseball since my throwing and batting arm were above average. Not even some adults could keep up with me. Word got around after a while and I got popular as hell. Girls were flocking towards me and I tried my hand at a lot of cute ones. I can’t say when but I lost interest in Kanon so there was no need to try hard at all at baseball either. If it weren’t for the girls I’d have quit, period.”

_Leon, that’s a bit depressing_

“Okay, maybe that’s not quite right. Don’t tell anyone but there _was_ one big reason…and it has to do with a guy I knew.”

“I met him in my first year of middle school, said his name was Nekomaru Nidai. He was older than me but I couldn’t tell by how much; he was built like a tank so it could have been 3 or even 7 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could take Ogre now.  Dude was real passionate about sports too and learned I had talent. Of course me being, well **_me,_** I turned him down immediately and said I didn’t need any kind of training he wouldn’t give up. Want to know what he did next?” He waited before proceeding

“He challenged me to a solo game. One round at pitch and one at bat. Me!  The baddest in the game.” He laughed as he fell back on the bed “Unfortunately, he kind of smoked me. I could barely see his pitches and when his turn at bat came around, he nailed mine out of the park…it was frustrating.”

 “I couldn’t take a loss lying down and practically begged him for one more round at bat until he agreed; it was like a scene out of a kids’ spat where the loser whines about getting one more chance for a  winner-take-all . After embarrassing myself like that, I defintelyto bea wanted to beat him this time.  His first pitch was too fast for me but it wasn’t like before, I could see it this time.  On the second pitch, I was fast enough to nick it. I could also tell he was sweating; thought the pressure was finally getting to him. All I needed was one more try to prove I was the best.  His third pitch came and I hit it out of the park. The rush I felt was incredible, winning had never felt that good!” He kicked at his legs and sat back up

“That turned to shit a split second later when I saw the guy lying on the ground.  I ran over and shook him a few times but he didn’t wake up. It took all I had to pick him up and take him to a bed at the nurse’s office. It was after hours and since nobody was around, I was freaking panicking and was about to call an ambulance until a hand grabbed me. I looked back and saw the guy awake and glaring at me, said a call wasn’t necessary and was only going to be a pain. I thought he was fucking crazy, he almost had a heart attack and he told me not to tell anyone."

_“Don’t bother me with something troublesome. My body can handle something of this magnitude.  Besides…its not the loser’s right to burden the shoulders of the victor.”_

_“W-What the hell are you on about? You could have died? Sit your ass down and let me get help.”_

_The next moment, the giant had swiftly left the bed and snatched the cellphone from Leon’s hand_

_“YOU IDIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO YOUR FUTURE!?”_

_Leon raised both hands in front of Nekomaru “Pretend my left hand is the Earth and the right is the sun…You lost me back at Venus, moron!”_

_“Just think about it! A famous athlete puts someone in a hospital because of a solo match and with no witnesses? How do you think the press is going to spin that!? Do you have any self-awareness at all!?”_

_“I think there’s more important things to worry about, like you **actually** dying on me.”_

_“Of course not! As a team manager myself, it’s only natural that I pay the utmost attention to my athletes and take every measure to expedite their success. It’ll be a cold day in hell when I allow myself to be responsible for a single blemish on their career.”_

_“Alright I get it, no calls. But you’ve got to tell me what happened so I don’t worry myself to death about it and what’s this about being a team manager? Aren’t you some monster champ yourself?”_

_The giant composed himself after being posed the question “I guess that’s fair. I don’t care for long-winded explanations so I’ll give you the abridged version.  I’ve been diagnosed with a heart disease so sports are out of the question. I moved on to an occupation as  a team manager because I was inspired by the fleeting yet brilliant life of someone who had similar circumstances and vowed to carry on his dream.  Will that suffice?”_

_Leon scratched his hair “…Sounds like you’ve got some heavy baggage. Kind of feel bad for prying now.”_

_“I don’t mind so long as you reciprocate. Why are you so intent on letting your talent go to waste?”_

_“Not this again. I’m telling ya, it’s only for the chicks. I hate getting dirty and did I mention what they make some guys do their hair? No way am I going through that.”_

_“A means to an end I see,”   Nekomaru showed a slight grin “So is that why you were prancing around back there at the thought of beating me?”_

_“Oh…you were still up for that. Don’t get the wrong idea, everyone likes winning and nobody likes losing, nothing more than that.”_

_“Speak for yourself then because I didn’t mind losing to you one bit. Seeing prospects surpass me is what I live for. Want to know why? It’s because of the pride I have in my pupils.” His voice raised again_

_“You can’t have pride in something you either hate or is unimportant so why care in the first place? If baseball really meant as little as you’ve claimed, you wouldn’t have accepted my challenge you and wouldn’t have demanded a rematch afterwards. Really, the only reason I made that wager with you was to assess whether you were worth the effort and I’d say that’s a definite yes.”_

_“I’ve seen plenty of your types so take my advice. Keep on with it and you’ll find you wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”_

_“We’ll see.”_

_“Still, since you did win, I have to reward you with one of my special massages.”_

_“Huh? No. Dude.  I’m totally fine. There’s no need to-“_

_There was no escape._

“Something sort of stuck with me that day. I wasn’t getting better, he just slowed down. I’m supposed to be the best but there I getting giddy over beating a dude with a terminal illness and then got lectured by him after a heart attack. How lame. If anyone had seen that, my rep with the girls, with everyone would have tanked. I couldn’t even quit because that’d make me an even bigger loser in his eyes and mine. Plus, I thought he was a pretty cool guy, a bit hardcore, but cool. So I thought it couldn’t hurt to get keep up at baseball, maybe even get better at it **.”**

A few moments of silence passed before Makoto spoke “Guess I’ll have to thank this Nekomaru guy if I ever see him.”

“What’s any of this got to do with you?” 

“His training that you kept up with baseball and got scouted right? In that case, he’s also the reason I got to meet one of my best friends.”

Leon facepalmed “Dude…that Is seriously embarrassing. I’ll never get how you can say corny shit like that out loud without dying a little inside.“

In unison, the two burst into simultaneous laughter.

 “So how was it?” Makoto asked as the hilarity died down

“How was what?”

Naegi looked up at the taller male and replied with a teasing smirk “You know. The massage?”

“Freaking smartass. It was great and if you think about telling anyone I just said that, I’ll knock you into a coma and make sure you forget all about it.”

And With that, the two said their goodbyes for the night. Makoto laid on his bed and slowly drifted to sleep

_Heh. He’s rough around the edges sometimes….a lot of the time…and not to mention extremely insensitive but I really think Leon just isn’t a guy anyone can hate._

_\---_

_,“I will…”_

_A voice could be heard echoing in darkness_

_It sounded familiar…that’s right, it was his own...but he wasn't the one who said anything._

_Upon that realization, his figure was reflected in what looked like a mirror image of himself._

_Only 'It' stared back at him with such authority and gravity that he doubted whether it really was him._

_“This time. I will definitely leave here.”_

_It was strange. Despite the owner of the voice staring right at him, he didn't feel the message was directed towards him._

_That's right. The statement was a simple declaration._

The form faded into darkness and moments later, Makoto woke from his dream. The sunlight touching his skin. Something Makoto noticed was covered in sweat.

_What a strange dream...Oh well, I have to get ready_

 

_\---_

Makoto followed the usual routine every morning and went to the restaurant, only he noticed something was different today. Nobody was eating or chatting amongst each other rather, most of the group were huddled together staring at the wall in mass confusion and in some cases fascination and worry.

“W-What the hell is this creepy thing?” Hiro broke the ice.

What he referred to was the simple yet completely out of place insignia that was newly inscribed on the restaurant’s upper level. 

“Whoever’s idea this was, come clean and I’ll go easy.” Kizakura said as he exuded rare signs of intimidation. However, nobody among the students present made a move

“If that’s how you want it, fine by me. Hope you kids like group punishment.”

“Wait.” Kyouko stepped up, and addressed the elder with a passive glance “First, we’d be better off ascertaining what this mark is and then we might be able to finger the culprit. Besides, something about this paint is bothering me.”

“Forgot you were into the whole detective thing. Fine, do it your way.” The teacher shrugged

Shortly after, Kyouko began inspecting the scene

“This is…definitely some variant of black magic circle.” Celes spoke up. “I’d rather not reveal my sources, however while that drawing is crude but there can be no mistaking what it is.”

“Eh Ms. Celes, do you realize you’ve just implicated yourself?” Hifumi tipped his glasses as he stared accusingly at the gothic Lolita. The latter however, didn’t appear to be in the mood to give him the time of day

“If she was the culprit I don’t think she would have said anything, Hifumi.” Asahina countered

“I-I wouldn’t be so sure of that.  It would be just like a h-heinous criminal to play a trick like giving evidence to absolve themselves of s-suspicion.”  Even the socially obstinate Fukawa began to involve herself

The air began to stir in the direction of the ultimate martial artist, silencing the group “Enough. We’ll be here all day if we resort to baseless accusations.”  Sakura said, arms crossed

“Gotta agree with Sakura here; it’s a bit too early for a witch hunt.”  Leon added

Makoto thought the same and it wasn’t just because he disliked watching his friends accuse one another of wrong doing. In this situation, it would make more sense to search for a motive after Kyouko had finished with her business. Speaking of which, he couldn’t help but notice the detective’s posture tense up somewhat as she observed the paint with her black gloves.

“You know, Kyouko…no matter how many times you look over that marking, what it’s made of won’t change.”

Makoto faced in the direction of the voice and saw Ryouko and Ikusaba standing side-by-side. The statement had come from the elder of the twins.

_I didn't even notice them_

Kyouko's eyes remained on the sisters for a moment before replying “You’re right, unfortunately.  Even if I inspect it a thousand times, it won’t change the fact that this drawing was made with blood.”

Now that had caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Mondo was the first to speak “What the fuck did she just say? I mean, that’s obviously just red paint!”  Despite the biker’s protests, a sinking feeling enveloped the room. As if still processing the weight of the information, everyone was slow to respond

“Where are the others?” Kizakura said 

That awoke Makoto out of his stupor

_Others? Who else isn’t here?_

He surveyed the area

 _"_ Chihiro…Ishimaru…Togami and…Sayaka? _"_

Kizakura inquired further “When was the last time anyone saw them?” 

 _Did he have to put it so ominously?_ Makoto wondered

“I saw bro off last night.” Mondo interjected

“Don’t think anyone’s seen Chihiro since breakfast yesterday, he had some project to do.” Leon added

“I-I lost sight of Master Byakuya yesterday afternoon.” Fukawa reported on cue

“Kyouko, Leon and I saw Sayaka late in the evening. “ Makoto said, starting to feel lightheaded for reasons he couldn’t quite pin down

“Of course!”  Hifumi yelled out “This has to be one of Mr. Togami’s ‘games’.”

“How dare you insult master, you disgusting sack of garbage!?” Touko seethed with indignation, glaring daggers at her fellow author

“It’s not impossible. Toges has some pretty poor taste when it comes to things like this but I thought he grew out of it.”  Hiro's said

“I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves yet again, or perhaps this is a means as to avoid reality?” Celes said “The problem as of now isn’t the person but the drawing itself.  As our resident ‘experts’ have stated, this is most definitely blood. Therefore I dare propose the obvious question…how much blood do you think it takes to paint that circle?”

“Not enough for a single person to live without.” Mukuro said in her usual despondent tone and none dared to doubt the information provided by a professional killer scouted by the academy

“Indeed. So tell me, do you still believe we have the luxury to keep arguing around like this while some of us are absent?" Celes said, her words hanging in the air

_Ah, I get it. She must be implying all that blood…might have…come from one of us but that’s strange isn’t it? Something like that isn’t…_

Makoto recalled the conversation he had with Sayaka the previous day

_**"I feel there’s something dangerous about this place. At least that’s what my intuition tells me.”** _

Those words shook his core

“I’m going to check on the others.” Makoto had already begun walking to the exit before speaking.  

“Hey Makoto, you can’t go alone. Wait up.” Hina called out to him but the luckster had already departed.

While Makoto had said he would search for the others, he meant one in particular

_Intuition? Isn’t Sayaka’s intuition incredibly accurate…then_

Unconsciously he had begun to pick up his pace and soon he broke into a full sprint, not even minding that he jumped over 5 cases of stairs in the lobby and broke open the door.

_This is just one of Togami’s sick jokes isn’t it?_

His heart beat louder and felt heavier than the pelting rain on his clothes.

_We’re Ultimates from hope’s peak.  There’s no way anything could happen here_

As he was running, he tripped over himself and fell hard on his face.

_So why was I running? Why am I scared?  And why did I fall over?_

He picked himself up, mud now readily apparent on his paling skin and clothes. He tried to brush the stains off using his palms before noticing blood cascading off his hands, Jacket and now ripped trousers.

As the rain attempted to wash off the liquid, he noticed that there wasn't an open wound for the blood to spill from

_It's not mine...then_

He paid greater attention to his surroundings and saw a blood trail from where he was standing leading to the pool. 

_That wasn't there before_

While Naegi would never admit it to himself or anyone else outright, a part of him wished he had kept running without looking back. At the very least, in that case he may have been able to live in blissful ignorance for a few more moments.

As he moved towards the reddening pool, he began to make out an object floating in the middle. He would never mistake that broad shape or the formerly pristine white uniform and black boots. Even if that same uniform was now was shredded open with cuts and blood dripping stains on every opening. But even compared to that, there was something starkly different than before.

Makoto could have sworn he heard his name called in the distance. It had to be one of his friends. His other friends.  He had mostly  ~~drowned~~ tuned them out as one of his  friends was floating right in front of him …only there was nothing upwards of the collar.

 “Taka?”  He stared dumbfounded at what he was slowly coming to realize, was the headless body of the ultimate moral compass

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regrets #2
> 
> Emotions are not needed to reach the truth. They blind, mislead and are easily used against you.
> 
> To cast these liabilities aside and assess the situation without bias or preconception. That is the mark of the peerless detective who stands at the summit; a ground where lies cannot tread. Yes, that is what I used to be and where I should have remained.
> 
> It really was his fault for dragging me down from there and because of him...I never want to return to that lonely place.
> 
> Isn't that strange? To fear a destiny I had been groomed for all my life? To fear perfection?


	3. Bugia Innocua / Beautiful Lie

His eyes fluttered open, revealing a fan hovering under a white ceiling. He instantly recognized that this wasn’t his room.  He turned his head sideways and realized the colorful décor was missing and replaced by white _everything_.

The stiffness of his body meant he must have slept for quite some time so why did he feel so tired?

He groggily tried moving his legs and found they felt heavier than usual.  He slowly sat upright on the bed and looked down to see Hina resting on his lower half.

He tried recalling the events that led to this bizarre situation.

_I remember waking up this morning and something eventful had to have happened…a magic circle…and…Something else…thoughts aren’t coherent… ~~the~~ my _ _head hurts. The head?...Aah I remember now…There was no head, just blood…So. Much. Blood_

_Taka’s…_

The images of this morning vividly replayed in his mind, causing Makoto to scream at the top of his lungs. The resulting noise jolted the swimmer awake, looking equally as fearful when she saw him in distress.

“M-Makoto, calm down!” She embraced him .

Beads of sweat rolled off Naegi’s forehead but he somehow managed to refrain from panicking further.

Relatively anyway.

“Blood. Taka. His head was---!” He stammered incoherently.

“We know. Please, just don’t say it.” Hina replied. Makoto could hear the anguish in her voice and deduced she was crying as well. He wasn’t faring much better himself.

_That's right, I need to calm down_

His friend, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, a person who worked his very hardest to uphold the morals of society…was brutally murdered. That fact wouldn’t change but he needed to assess the situation. That’s what Kyouko would do and he couldn’t think of a more reliable model at the moment.

“Where is everyone? How long was I asleep? What happened?” Despite his best efforts to remain calm, he couldn’t prevent an outburst of questions laced with anxiety.

“I’ll explain everything one at a time but first,  you’re in the hospital on the third island and have been sleeping for most of the day.”

Hina informed him of what had occurred during his absence. She and Leon had found Naegi next to a blood trail in front of the pool. Afterwards, he fainted and fell backwards _hard. The others_ caught up and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Mondo took it the hardest; he jumped into the pool and dragged ~~the corpse~~ Taka out of there. Everyone thought the biker was about to lose it and storm off looking for the killer by himself until Sakura stopped him…by putting him into the next room.

The violent implications were clear.

Kizakura had ordered the students to hole up in the medical ward with Sakura and Mukuro standing guard while he went off looking for Chihiro and Togami.

_That’s right, the others were missing. Chihiro, Byakuya and Sayaka!_

He grabbed the swimmer’s shoulders, his fingers almost digging into her skin.  “Hina. Where’s Sayaka!?”

She winced at his clutch and replied   as calmly as she could “Sayaka’s fine. She’s with everyone in the lobby...mostly everyone.” At that, he hugged the swimmer back. A part of him was relieved at the good news. Another tried  to fight back the feeling of self-disgust that emanated from the comfort of one of his friends surviving even if another had not.

“I want to see them.” He told her

“A-Alright. Just follow me.”

Despite his best attempts at hiding it, Makoto couldn’t help but feel a dizzying sensation as he got off the bed and followed behind the swimmer.

 ---

Asahina led him to the lounge where he was met with the majority of his classmates staunched up tensely across the room.  A  number of worried stares were thrown in his direction as they took notice of his presence. His eyes met with Sayaka's for a moment before she looked away nervously. 

_That was weird_

Hiro was the first to call out “Naeggs, you’re alive!” running over and placing both hands on Naegi's shoulders

_He really thought I was going to die…_

“It looks that way. How about you guys?” He asked and was met with brief silence before Kyouko addressed him

“We haven’t found much yet…although if I were allowed to be in the field, I can assure you we’d have made more head way by now.” She said disdainfully and explained that Kizakura had barred her from exercising her duties as detective 

“I guess I can see his point if he’s trying to keep everyone safe but what if he gets into trouble he can’t handle?” You couldn’t protect anyone if you couldn’t save yourself first.

“I wouldn’t worry about him. While his relationships, habits and personality are lacking, Kizakura can be counted on in times of distress.” She responded with confidence. Makoto figured this was as much of a compliment as Mr. Kizakura would ever receive from the ultimate.

“What about the others? Even if Kizakura  can handle himself, it's still going to take more time to get to two people alone. Chihiro and Togami could be in danger!”

“Assuming that one of them is not the killer correct?” The tension in the room increased 10 fold as Celeste uttered those words

Everyone stared at each other but none dared to speak. Makoto immediately understood that something else must have happened in his absence, it was as if they were meeting each other as strangers for the first time.

“What's going on and where's Ikusaba and Touko?” He asked

“Touko is currently under surveillance and with our very own soldier as guard ” The gothic lolita explained

He really wasn't liking this development. “Surveillance? What for?”

“Why yes. After all, our dear Touko is the prime suspect. Ah- perhaps I should have said _Genocider_ instead?” She says, coyly

“We’re suspecting her? Where’s the proof?”

“I would assume the fact that Touko harbors a renowned serial killer as a secondary personality would more than suffice for evidence but if I must, consider the gender of the victim.”

“He was male.” He said hollowly, a clear understanding of what the red-eyed girl was alluding to.

“Indeed but here is the dilemma, Sayaka was also vulnerable yet was unharmed thus indicating the culprit may have a preference for males and what's more is that the victim _was_ fairly handsome; perhaps even worthy of C rank.” Celeste elaborated

“...That’s circumstantial evidence at best.” He spoke tactfully Arguments were his strong suit and Celestia knew it.

The gambler huffed and conceded that the luckster had a point “True however that all depends on how Chihiro fares. If he’s still alive then I suppose all we can do is doubt poor Touko. If he is not then I fail to see how you could overlook these similarities as mere coincidences.” 

“Then what about Genocider’s signature? From what I’ve seen, her scissors and execution style has been absent.” Makoto said.

“Normally you may have had a point but who is to say she simply didn’t act on impulse. Trying to rationalize logic with a psychopath is unwise.”

He said nothing to that but this was an odd accusation even for Celeste. Makoto knew there had to be more for her to suspect the author "Okay, then let's try this from a different angle. On whose authority was it decided that we could imprison our friends without evidence?"

"Ah, now for that I do have an answer. It was a majority vote between us that Touko was a potential threat." 

His stomach churned as he stared at his classmates in disbelief and they all refused to look him in the eye. All except one.

"I understand how you feel, Makoto but Celestia has a point. I would not like to believe Touko would do such a thing however, considering her oddities, it would be wise to err on the side of caution." Sakura spoke as a voice of reason and Makoto knew she was right.

Even so, that didn't mean he had to like it.

“Be that as it may, Touko is certainly a candidate but that does not make her the culprit.” Kyouko intervened, returning the attention in the room back to herself.

“Oh my. You sound as if you already have an idea in mind, Kyouko.” Celeste appeared to have picked up on the Kirgiri’s implications.

“Perhaps.” The other girl responded, succinctly.

“Yeah, it’s obvious who killed Taka.” Said Hiro, surprising near everyone else in the room.

“Wait. YOU know who the culprit is?” Asahina asked, her tone veiled in skepticism.

“Of course, the culprit was the witch of Jabberwock Island.” He exaggeratedly pointed his finger outwards, absolutely convinced of his newfound discovery

“I’m sorry I asked.”

“It's true. I’ve seen her in my crystal ball.”

“Who knows, he might be right. After all, Hiro did predict Taka would stop harassing Kizakura. Just not in the way any of us thought.”   Leon added, crouched down near the wall and with a baseball bat in hand, apparently for self-defense.

“Nonsensical thinking like that would be the last thing we need right now. We live in the real world where actions are committed by observable phenomenon, not superstition.” The detective declared, letting her words soak in before continuing with “Is that what you’d expect me to say at this point?”

Makoto and the others looked at her in shock.

“Now this is truly bizarre, Kyouko.  Are you, of all people, actually saying this oaf’s theory may be correct?”  There was no mockery in Celes’ query.  Makoto could see that the gambler was legitimately caught off guard.

“I don’t believe I said that either.  I’ve merely accept the possibility based on few uncertain factors.” Kyouko raised her gloved hands to her chin as she relayed her observations to the group “To deny the possibility that some unknown may be the culprit based on a preconception that denounces the existence of magic is tantamount to closing off a path without checking what lies beyond. An amateur detective might make such a mistake but that isn’t the Kirigiri way.  At the time when the body was discovered, we witnessed the same drawing in the restaurant. Whether or not Hagakure may be correct isn't the issue, it's that whoever is behind these attacks wants to lead us to that conclusion.” Kyouko said

“Is there any point to that?” Makoto proposed “If the killer’s aim is to scare us, why go through this farce?  I mean we’re not kids anymore so nobody should be afraid of something so unrealistic.”

“My thoughts exactly:  Whether the killer is a fool or has some ulterior motive, the fact remains that their actions are counter-intuitive.”

“So you guys are saying there really is some kind of monster out here?” Hina said, fear present on her face

Kyouko directed her attention towards the swimmer “That’s not right. I’ll stress it again; I’ve merely considered that possibility. I don’t believe in the occult however I am also not qualified to disprove their legitimacy.  Frankly, I would have preferred not to share this information in the first place  My methods are to keep discoveries private until I have enough to create a concrete picture of the situation…however the current predicament requires haste and none of us are very well protected”

“I understand the gist of it but there is also the possibility that we merely have an outsider in our midst attempting to confuse us.” Sakura added

“Indeed, that would be the third and last possible option.”

“The other two being the existence of a witch…or that the killer is one of us.” The martial artist concluded

Makoto didn’t care for that final proposal. He didn’t believe for an instant that one of his friends could have murdered the others. He would denounce that possibility, even if it meant believing in the impossible.

Therefore “Celeste. I want you to promise me that you won’t accuse Touko of murder. Not until we know for sure.”  Makoto said.

“Very well, I will acquiesce to your request however, that does not mean I will be letting my guard down around her. If you wish to ignore the most dangerous element then that is your decision. Celestia Ludenberg on the other hand, values her life.” She said with a smile that was almost certainly faked.

He resigned himself to that compromise. The gambler didn’t appear to be in the mood for anymore negotiations and he had other matters to tend to.

“ Glad to see you’re alright now.” A melodious voice belonging to the ultimate idol came from behind him.

Naegi recognized that Sayaka looked no worse for wear.

 “I’m fine but honestly, I was more worried about you.”

“Yeah about that…to tell you the truth I'm a little scared here.”

He made a fist and lightly slammed it against his chest as a gesture of confidence “With Kyouko around, we’ll figure things out in no time and if she can’t, I’ll still find a way to get us out of this mess.”

The idol laughed “You sound a little like Togami, grandstanding like that. I’ve always thought it was cool how you always know just what to say.” He blushed. Compliments always made him nervous. He was just average after all.

"So why didn't you show up at this restaurant this morning?"

"Oh that." She smiled. "Sorry this is really embarrassing but I sort of slept in."

“Really? Well as long as you're not injured or anything." He reassured her " And we’ll definitely get the guy who did this so nobody else gets hurt either.”

At that, he noticed Sayaka’s expression became much more serious.

“Don’t even think about it. We should worry about staying alive…I don’t want you to confront this person.” She used a forceful tone the luckster hadn’t heard from her before. “If you do, I want you to promise me to think of yourself and run.”

“But-“

“Makoto Naegi!” Sayaka raised her voice.

Makoto flinched at the pop star breaking character and accepted that she wasn’t going to back down this time.

“I promise. “ He said, scratching his hair

“I trust you but if you lie to me, I don't think I'll be able to forgive that.”  Her blue eyes were cold as ice

Things were really awkward after that. Makoto didn’t believe he had said anything wrong but he could also understand the Idol’s feelings. As for his promise, that was something he may have to break if the situation called for it. Afterwards, he asked Sayaka for where Ikusaba was keeping Touko and was referred to the girl’s washroom upstairs.

\---

Makoto ventured towards the room on the upper floor. The soldier had given him an uncertain stare when he had walked in while Touko sat at the corner on the left side of the wall, 

Makoto waved towards the soldier, to which she nodded  as he approached the writer.

“Touko.  Are you okay?” He instantly regretted the stupidity of his word choice as soon as they left his mouth. Given the circumstances, he knew she was the furthest thing from stable given her inferiority complex and Makoto hadn't made much progress with getting Touko to open up. His motivational speeches, as they were often called, came naturally. He was admired for speaking from the heart but the downside to that manifested In how he rarely put much foresight into what was actually said.

"I see sleeping beauty f-finally woke up. I-I bet you c-came to accuse me of m-murder too."

 "Before we get to that, I want you to tell me first. Do you think Genocider's responsible?" He needed to be careful as to not set the bespectacled girl off. If he came across as overly positive, she'd see it as patronizing behavior and retaliate so he figured it would be best to hold back his own opinions until the end.

"H-How the h-hell should I know? Even if I don't r-remember blacking out during the day, there's nothing stopping _her_ from showing up while I'm asleep and we don't share memories." Touko said

_Then there's not much of an alibi she can make. There's another option though_

"Can I ask Genocider herself then?" 

"I can't allow that, Naegi." "Hell no!" Both females in the room responded simultaneously but with varying levels of denial

Makoto would probably understand Fukawa's reasoning but he was surprised Mukuro objected as well

"Orders y'know. I was told to prevent any and all attempts that would lead to her transforming into Genocider. I always follow orders." Ikusaba said without a shred of hesitation.

"On whose orders?"

"The same ones that asked me to stand guard, who else?" Truly this was a person who embraced simplicity.

Yet Makoto couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment towards his classmates

"Not like I'd allow it anyway. That bitch is always causing trouble for me but I won't let her be used as slander material against M-Master Byakuya any more."

That was new. "W-Why would Togami be affected by this? It's because of him that Genocider _behaves_."

The evening was becoming more and more confusing for him and the numbness that never seemed to go away wasn't helping.

"F-Feigning ignorance isn't going to gain my trust y-you know." She mocked but Makoto genuinely had no idea what she was referring to. Something the writer caught onto "...You really don't know? How dull are you seriously? The main reason they p-put me here is because they're afraid I'm the Master's tool. Not like that's wrong, in a way; it's an honor if anything." Touko's facial expressions reaching a state of euphoria for reasons Makoto nor anyone else would dare to understand.

_This is getting ridiculous_

He took deep breaths before continuing the conversation "Why is Togami being suspected?"

"Oh come on, the fat idiot said it this morning didn't he? They t-think this is some twisted game he cooked up. As if master Byakuya would ever commit to something so tasteless."

"Sorry but my memory of this morning isn't the best right now, care to elaborate." Touko's vindictive eyes softened into something nearly resembling sympathy and sighed "They believe the entire vacation might be a set-up and that Master's using _her_ as a weapon to get rid of you all for sport. Even idiot hair came up with the idea that Ishimaru is still kicking and the body we saw was some kind of doll. Your girlfriend. Not the blue one but the smart pink one shot that down real quick though."

Makoto pretended he didn't hear that last sentence and he swore Ikusaba twitched as well.

"That's all speculation." 

"Well duh but they won't know until they find him and he's missing right now. I should be out there looking but F-Freckles here won't let me leave. Even if I made it past her then I'd have to deal with the ogre." Touko bit her nails as she considered her options

This time, Makoto was sure he saw subtle movements from the girl behind him....was that a knife her hand tried to reach for?

_Touko, please don't provoke the very scary (and dangerous!) mercenary behind me_

Those thoughts aside, Naegi felt he had learned quite a bit of the situation. While some parts remained sketchy , there was one thing he knew for sure. There was a fatal lack of trust present between his classmates. If they were going to get through this, then they needed to work together, not doubt each other.

_And I'll start here._

Certain of his course of action, he addressed the author with newfound conviction "Touko, I want you to know that I don't agree with what's going on here and think you really are innocent. It may not seem like it right now but I know we're friends, all of us. We’re going to need everyone to keep their heads on straight here and that includes you." He said, semi-forcefully "I just need you to believe in me and yourself."

"You want to me to trust you? L-like hell I could trust a face that looks _that_ harmless. Haven't you read a mystery series before? That's just asking to be shot in the back right a-at the climax!" The ultimate writer looked at him as if he was an idiot.

Makoto frowned a bit at that. Was he rejected?

"Then again. You're also totally useless and can't do anything by yourself. No way s-someone like you could be a mastermind. At best, you're a support extra designed to make the leads l-look cooler so I guess there are worse choices than you."

_I'll take that a yes then._

"Don't worry Touko, we'll definitely get this straightened out and you out of here. Just...be a little patient and don't try anything drastic."

"O-Obviously. Didn't I say I couldn't leave here anyway? So get lost and clear things up with Master Byakuya."

\---

The ultimate soldier saw him out of the restroom.

“That was pretty cool.” Ikusaba spoke. It happened so rarely that Makoto would often forget what her voice sounded like.

“You think so? I was just saying what I felt was the truth; that no matter what happens, we can’t lose hope.”

“Hope…say, what would you do if you eventually found this guy?”

“If it came to that, we’d have you or Sakura hold them down until the police arrive.” He was somewhat embarrassed at leaving the heavy duty to the girls.

“I see. You know if it was up to me, I wouldn’t take chances."  She said “If someone’s in your way then all I need to do is kill them and get it over with. Try it sometime.”

“ _What_? I could never do something like that! No way!” He yelled.

The soldier laughed at his outburst, sounding awkward in her own amusement “It was just a joke to lighten the mood. There’s no way a nice guy like you could kill anybody.  Maybe it was in bad taste?”

“Bad taste is putting it mildly.” He grumbled and wondered why he was such an easy target for teasing.

\---

 It was the dead of night and the rain had lifted.

Mondo should still be unconscious in the hospital bed next to his own; checking up on the biker would have to wait.

Makoto’s next objective was the most difficult and if he knew this person half as well as he believed, their patience should be reaching its limit. He stalked the lower floors of the hospital looking for her and sure enough, he found Kyouko trying to sneak off through the front door at the entrance.

She only made a few steps outside before he made his own way over and called out to her.

“Going somewhere?” Makoto teased. His voice  low enough where only the detective could hear.

 If Kyouko was surprised by his presence, her expressions didn’t show it “Oh drat, I’ve been found out.” Her words on the other hand told a different story.

“That reaction…You knew I was going to be here.” Makoto realized he had been outplayed yet again .

“Don’t make me sound so manipulative. We’re familiar with each other enough to know the other’s habits, things just happened to end up this way.”

“You duping me is the natural order of things, I’ll bet. ” He said, sarcastically.

The lilac-haired girl eyes shifted away from his a bit and stared passed him “I suppose that’s one way to look at it though I would rather you not hold it against me considering you were caught as well. Didn’t you know the first rule of tailing someone is to watch your own back most of all?” She pointed behind the luckster

Naegi’s eyes widened as he instinctively turned around. Standing behind him was Leon, who gazed at the two with transparent interest of his own.

“I saw Shorty over here acting suspicious and tailed him. You guys bailing by yourselves?”

Kyouko’s guard flared up as she countered “That is the idea. Will you stop us?”

“No way, I just think it’s pretty gutsy for you guys to go without backup.  I thought you’d have asked Ogre or Mukuro to go with you at least.”

“Sakura lives by her morals so she may feel inclined to stop us. Ikusaba is out of the question.”  She may have expected that question given how quick and succinct her response was.

“Far be it from me to be presumptuous but I assume you’re offering a helping hand?” 

Leon retorted with a buzzing sound “Wrong.  Mondo woke up and Sakura asked me to help pacify em. I thought eggs here would do a better job and found him acting all creepy.”

“I'm not creepy...but that’s great. I’ll go help” He said, happily. More good news was welcome

 A grunt came from behind the Hoodie as soon as he spoke

“Um…tell you what Leon. Could you cover for me and Kyouko till we get back?”

“Dude seriously, I came here so I’d have to do less work and you’re pawning _more_ on me?”

“You owe me one, _remember_?” He drew out the last word, reminding the baseball star of his assistance on the previous day

“Ugh, a lot of guys here are crafty as hell  so don’t blame me if I screw up.”

“You’ll do fine. Just stay away from Celeste and Sayaka. Besides, it shouldn’t be too much trouble with Sakura there. Mondo would never hit a girl.” With that, Makoto left the hospital with Kyouko. A small part of him enjoying the thought of his friend struggling to keep secrets.

That faint entertainment was wiped away when the bodily pain resurfaced.

“We have two objectives. Find Togami and search for clues about Taka.” Kyouko said, bringing the boy out of his short stupor. Those words carried a great deal of weight and Makoto steeled himself in preparation for what he was likely to find there.

The duo scoured their surroundings as they made their way to the library first; the area where the Togami heir frequented most. With the ambiguity surrounding exactly what they were dealing with, to say the boy was jumpy would be an understatement. Kyouko had “previously invited’ him to join her in mock cases during their time at hope’s peak where they would uncover small-time misconduct within the school grounds and sometimes outside of it.  Regardless, their current predicament was hardly comparable

He wasn’t exactly capable of putting up a fight if it came down to it so he wondered why the detective hadn’t enlisted some of his more dependable classmates. 

“Kyouko, why didn’t we ask Ikusaba for help? No offense to Leon but she’s a lot tougher than him.” 

“Two reasons. One being that, at this moment, I believe it would be dangerous to have her around. On that note Makoto, there is something I need to ask you" Kyouko slowed her pace so Makoto could be well within hearing distance. Now they were nearly walking side by side. "I would like hold off on stating whatever conclusion you may have reached.  When you first arrived at the restaurant in the morning, the blood from Taka’s body was absent correct?”

He nodded

“In other words, this means the body was moved to the pool within the timeframe of your arrival and your departure. In that case, if we were to assume the killer is among us then the suspects would be the ones who weren’t there when you arrived.”

“Makes sense but wouldn’t you be assuming I’m not the killer?  I-I’m definitely not but you can’t prove that.” He spluttered, waving his arms in defense

“I already asked the others the same question so unless they were _all_ lying then you’re in the clear for now. More importantly, following this train of thought would narrow the suspects down to Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko, Ikusaba and Sayaka.”

“I’m not really comfortable with thinking our friends are capable of this.”

“However you can’t be sure. To expect a human being to cater completely to your expectations regardless of the context is arrogant and unwise, do try to remember that.” Kyouko said

“Back on topic. There’s also the issue of the victim:  Kiyotaka Ishimaru was far from a push-over and as someone who had trained his body for most of his life in martial arts, taking him down is no easy feat. What’s more is that his talent warranted him to have keen observation of suspicious activity. For Ishimaru to have ended up like that leads me to 3 possible conclusions, each a problem on their own. The first is that they were someone he trusted and he was taken off-guard. The second is that he was overpowered and was unable to leave a trace of where the scuffle took place. As for the last, it’s possible the killer was both someone he knew and someone strong enough to best him in that manner.”

Makoto gulped instinctively

 “Hold on a second. Isn’t that the same thought process Celeste was using to accuse Touko? I thought you disagreed with her.”

“I said nothing of the sort. I _implied_ that we shouldn’t ignore all the possible options, not that hers was invalid. In my experience, the nature of a crime can reliably be traced back to the most obvious culprit 90% of the time. I do things this way because ignoring the other 10% could cost lives.” Kyouko said “You’ve also gotten the wrong impression.  I never said I thought Ikusaba was the one who brought Taka’s body there. Did you notice her appearance in the restaurant?”

“She looked normal to me but I was kind of surprised how I didn’t notice her until she spoke up.”

“As did I but if you had paid appropriate attention, you might have seen that her boots were dry.”

“Dry?”

We each had umbrellas so it's natural our clothes would be dry but our shoes are another story. It would mean Ikusaba never left the restaurant from the moment the rain began to when Taka was found. Not only is remaining there suspicious in of itself but it's stranger that she would have missed whoever painted that drawing on the wall.

“You mean…”

“What did I say about stating your conclusions?” Kyouko chastised him

That was true. The reason he came along was to add a different perspective and pick up points she might have missed. Besides, he didn’t want to think Ikusaba was capable of this.

Well, perhaps capable wasn’t the right word. She _was_ the ultimate soldier after all and contrary to what some might think, even he wasn’t naïve enough to believe she could have gotten that title without killing…a lot. Still, even taking that into account, the elder twin had never even hinted at the tendency to kill unprovoked in all the time he’d known her and there would be no motive.

 “So what was the other reason?”

“I didn’t think she’d want to be away from her sister at a time like this.” Kyouko replied. Her words resonated with something Makoto had wished to inquire on since the group meeting.

"Hey Kyouko...about the majority vote for holding Touko captive and suspecting Togami."  He was disgusted with himself. He didn't want to ask. He didn't need to ask. But he asked anyway. "Did you agree to that?"

The detective's pace sped up past him and as a result, Makoto could no longer see her expression. A short time elapsed before Kyouko continued "Like Sakura said I understand how you feel and I also understand why their actions were necessary however...you should know me better than that. I have always believed in innocent until proven guilty therefore until I have the facts, there is no reason for me to condemn her. Besides Touko is our friend, isn't she?" Kyouko turned around and gave him a genuine smile. Even in the darkness, he could see that it accentuated the girl's already intense beauty.

Makoto's face beamed at her answer and he too smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. The detective continued to inspire admiration within him. He couldn't help but be amazed by how Kyouko could be so reliable and efficient without sacrificing her caring nature.  

Truthfully, he was jealous. And the instant that feeling sprung from within him, so did a murky, hazy sensation that rippled throughout his body. He could barely maintain consciousness and his legs would have given out had he not stopped abruptly.

Hearing the hoodie's footsteps come to a halt, Kyouko turned back to see him frozen in place, a single line of sweat falling off his chin. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record but I’ll say it again regardless…are you sure you’re alright?” The detective was demonstrably concerned.

He told Touko moments ago that everything would be alright once _she_ starts believing they will be and in himself. This wasn't the time or place to show weakness and he wouldn't make himself out to be a hypocrite of that caliber.

He gave Kyouko the strongest smile he could muster at the time  and forced himself to speak "My bad, I nearly tripped over my shoelace as usual. You know me.” 

It wasn’t often he told lies. He just hoped it wouldn't become a habit

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regrets #3
> 
> Talent isn't all its cracked up to be. A guaranteed shiny future is nice but the expectations and effort you make for it, that's just not my style. My whole life, I always looked for shortcuts to solve my problems and when things go my way, I end up forgetting the reason I started searching in the first place and go with the flow. That's what happened with me and Kanon.
> 
> But you guys are different, I had more fun in the past year than the rest combined. If I had to choose between the opportunity of a lifetime or slugging it out with all of you, I don't even need to think about what would make me happier.
> 
> And that's why...


	4. Mostro di Logica / Monster of Logic

Naegi and Kirigiri left nothing un-turned as they rummaged through the ultimate moral compass’ cottage for clues.

How did they get inside, you ask? Kyouko had long confessed to lock-picking as one of the many essential talents of a detective. A part of him just thought she was being a deviant and screwing the rules. This was a girl who rebelled in the strangest ways and he was sure her father would agree.

As expected, the room _was_ neat and tidy.  Taka, who often stressed cleanliness and order, would never leave his room (even a temporary one that would likely have been cleaned after his departure) in less than perfect condition.

It wasn’t so neat now that he and Kyouko had gotten through with it. He had asked what it was they were looking for specifically and she had replied with something along the lines of “Anything that’s suspicious.”

_In other words, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack._

 Despite feeling his condition improve, he still wanted to hide it from the others. At least until everything settled down. Easier said than done since Kyouko kept making side glances his way, something that suggested he wasn’t convincing enough.

 Still, the fact that she hadn’t said anything outright meant she didn’t have a solid idea, in which case he was doing a fairly good job.

Makoto searched the area around the upper section of the bed and bumped and accidentally swiped at the alarm on top of the drawer, making the rectangular object fall onto the floor upright.

 Makoto placed both hands onto his ears as an obnoxious sound rung incessantly from the now-activated alarm.  He attempted to grab it before a gloved hand latched onto his wrist. 

He couldn’t understand why but Kyouko insisted he leave it untouched.

Several minutes passed and the alarm showed no signs of quieting. A full 15 minutes later and Makoto thought his brain was about to explode.

“Alright, that should be enough.” Kyouko said, and he quickly disarmed that horrid clock.

He sighed as he rubbed his temples

_Peace at last_

 “Just as I thought, the picture is starting to become clearer.”

“I’m glad there was actually a point to that, Kyouko. Care to share?”

“From what I can gather, it is likely that Kiyotaka was murdered this very morning…as in within an hour of our finding his body.”

Makoto caught on quickly. “The alarm doesn’t have an auto-shut down sequence so he had to have turned it off this morning, right?”

“Exactly, only I had my suspicions after seeing the pristine state of the room, someone made the bed after he had slept.  Furthermore, Ishimaru lives by his schedule as much as Sayaka. He’d always be the first to sleep and the first to wake so based on that alone, the chances that he left this room in the night are slim and the possibility that he was attacked inside this room is even slimmer.”

Leaving only one option left, he was killed after he left this room in the morning…and none of us noticed. Of course we wouldn’t, the cottages are soundproof!

“You’re the only one I’ve told about this but remember when I was investigating the diagram in the restaurant? The blood there was still wet and warm. Now consider this: where exactly are we?”

 _Where are we?...Jabberwock Island…a  famous tropical resort_ .. _I get it_

“We’re on a tropical island. Blood usually takes a little under an hour to dry under normal temperatures It shouldn’t have taken more than half an hour.”

“Correct, meaning that circle must have been made a short time before we arrived.  In other words, everyone who made it to this morning’s breakfast is most likely exempt from suspicion for the mean time. That would include Ikusaba, naturally.” Kyouko said, alleviating the luckster of his growing suspicions of the older twin.

Indeed, Makoto realized that it was simply impossible for the ultimate soldier to have somehow killed Taka, done something with the body, made the diagram, then left and came back without anyone seeing her during that short timeframe. Then again, they had reason to believe the stoic girl may not have left the building at all. Nobody’s that good…unless there’s some kind of ultimate murderer out there.

“Therefore, if we subscribe to the idea that our classmates are behind this murder then that leaves only Chihiro, Sayaka and Togami as the prime suspects. Assuming Ishimaru didn’t decide it was a good idea to experiment on decapitating himself.”

_I can’t imagine for a second Chihiro could have done this. Nothing about his character even hints at being capable and he doesn’t have the strength for it._

He realized that they hadn’t truly addressed the possibility of an outsider committing the crime “What are the chances that someone really snuck on the island?”

“Not very high in my opinion. From what I was told, Hope’s Peak had gone to great  lengths to prevent such an occurrence. The island was swept clean of anyone before we arrived and there is only one location where ships may dock. As you know, Kyousuke Munakata and his assistant took the last ship out a few days ago and none have arrived since.”

_No chance then…_

He smiled bitterly

Kyouko noticed his deflated expression and offered a ray of hope of her own “Either way, we won’t be able to fully solve this mystery until we find the other two. There’s no point wracking your head over the size of the forest if you can’t even see the trees in front of you.”

He agreed. They  had a better chance tackling the problems in front of us and working our way from the bottom which means, we need to start looking for Togami and Chihiro. Kizakura was handling the latter so it’s clear where we needed to go.

“The library then?” He proposed

“Unless there’s anywhere else you think is suspicious?”

Makoto felt like he was forgetting something important but nothing came to the surface. He had his increasingly annoying ailment to thank for that.

“No. Lead the way.”

If at this point he had remembered, things might have turned out differently.

\---

The duo trailed back to the second island when a shaggy, long-haired hobo came running their way and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Naegi-chi,  Kirigi-chi. We got trouble. Big trouble!” 

“H-Hiro? How did YOU find us and whats wrong? Makoto said, somewhat disturbed by how they got busted by _him_

“Leon told me but that doesn’t matter right now. EVERYTHING’s gone to hell.” He shouted in his usual dramatic fashion

_Way to keep a secret Leon._

“Calm down and tell us what happened.” Kyouko ordered

“I don’t know. One second everything was fine and the next, we were under attack. Ogre and Mondo broke out into a fight then the whole place got totaled then Genocider showed up and then Hina  tried to stop them, then Mondo ran off!”

Makoto took a full 5 seconds to process what he had just heard. _“_ No way. First off, Mondo would never fight a girl, even Sakura.”

Kyouko shook her head and frowned “Remember what I said about preconceptions? We’ll have to drop  the investigation for now and make sure our fellow classmates don’t end up killing each other.”

\---

To say the formerly tranquil scenery of the hospital was replaced with a warzone overnight wasn’t far off the mark. Only this destruction had occurred in the span of a few minutes.  The hospital had been set ablaze, numerous cracks and potholes filled the grounds and the building itself looked a shell of its former self. As if an indoor tornado swept its way through the compound, the windows from top to the bottom floor had been shattered and the front door been blown to smithereens, making it easy for the trio to see the flames burning everything they touched inside. 

Makoto’s attention however, was focused on the people outside the building. Sakura was crouched on a single knee and with Hina at her side. The martial artist had a number of bruises, some a clear shade of purple and blood dripping from the side of her abdomen.

” Sakura! Those wounds…”

“I have suffered worse; these injuries are far from life-threatening however they may take some time to recover.  Possibly longer, as we no longer have any medical supplies in the immediate vicinity.” She faced the ruined building.

“How did you get those injuries?” Kyouko said. Makoto could see she had entered into interrogation mode.

“Ashamed as I am to admit it, they were inflicted by Mondo while my back was turned.”

“That jerk! Always going on about never hitting girls then he pulls this crap? Even if he is hurt about Taka, that gives him no right to lay a hand on Sakura.” Asahina was furious.

“Enough, Hina. The very last thing I desire is to have you all fight each other on behalf of my own incompetence.  Moreover, I do not believe Mondo was in his right mind…and I am not referring to Kiyotaka.”

“You noticed something.”  Kyouko phrased it as a statement

“Indeed. While my injuries were due to an assault from behind…Mondo was still far more difficult to deal with than he should have been, especially for someone who had just regained consciousness. Even more unnerving was the color of his eyes, they were _scarlet red_.” Sakura said. The gravity she spoke with hinted there was more to her ordeal than words could express.

 “Mondo’s irises are purple and we’ve known that since we met him. Are you certain you weren’t seeing things in the midst of a fight?”

“I would never make such a callous mistake, Kyouko. While in combat, it is imperative for a master to keep their eyes locked on their opponent’s.  A person’s eyes betray more of their actions than words ever could and  I believe someone of your caliber should understand this best of all.”

“…You’re correct. I don’t mean to doubt but you understand what you’re telling us, yes?” It was in Kyouko’s nature to play the devil’s advocate. A truth that Oogami understood as well

“I do and I may not believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. What do you make of this?”

“I’m not sure. There is no illness I have in memory that can make a person change eye color but it would explain why Mondo would actually attack you, much less from behind. Mondo’s always had problems restraining his anger but he has never crossed that line. Nobody with such strong values changes _that_ abruptly.” Despite maintaining her stoic persona, Makoto could see the detective was becoming frustrated. Stranger things occurred seemingly without end and we barely had any answers.

“Could you tell us what happened precisely, since before he attacked?” Makoto said. Maybe they would get answers if Sakura went into full detail of the events.

“Very well. I had requested Leon’s assistance at keeping watch over Mondo as soon as I felt signs of his regaining consciousness. He didn’t immediately acquiesce to my request but he did return a few minutes later.  I cannot say where he went.”

_I can…Sorry about that._

Sakura continued. “He did not return alone however. Celestia came with him and apparently expressed interest in Mondo’s condition.  As loathed as I am to suspect my classmates of ill-will, I was skeptical of the nature of Celeste’s intentions and kept watch over her.”

“Celeste did?  I can see why you’d be suspicious then; she isn’t really the type to go for sentimentality. What happened next?” Kyouko added

 “Oh, I can field the next one. I got sort of hungry and wanted to make something in the hospital’s kitchen but I think the food burned and turned on the fire alarm. I think there was something wrong with the stove because I never burn my food. Looks like it had been used too which was weird because I didn’t smell any cooking.” Hina interjected. Makoto wasn’t sure of whether her cheer had returned somewhat or she was just embarrassed

Sakura nodded her head to verify the swimmer’s testimony “Afterwards, I left the room to check on the problem and found Hina there. It appeared to be a minor accident and after making sure she was unharmed, I returned to my position. Only, I met Celeste on her way out, claiming she had ‘finished her business there and departed. Leon wasn’t in the room either therefore I initially assume she had waited there until my return as to not leave Mondo unattended.”

_Leon, come on…_

“I ruminated over the day’s events near the door and took my eyes off Mondo. Deep in my own thoughts, I failed to notice my assailant and received a knife wound to the side as punishment. “

 ---

“ _Mondo. What is the meaning of this?” She said as she clutched her side with one arm, the knife had been forcibly removed and thrown to the wayside._

_The gang leader didn’t respond but instead ran forward, pulling his left fist back in an attempt to land another blow. This time, she would be ready._

_Sakura was well aware of her opponent’s strength, they had fought earlier this very day after all and she only had a moderate amount of difficulty subduing him. To an ordinary person the incoming fist would seem as if it moved at a hundred miles per hour, essentially invisible but to her, it might as well have been standing still._

_Mondo’s reach entered her personal space and the aim was clearly poised at her chest. She deflected it with the back of her own right palm, pushing his arm to the side and disrupting his balance._

_The biker countered by kicking at her open wound, to which Sakura responded by raising her own knee to block the attack. Mondo was now unable to defend himself against the palm thrust Sakura had delivered towards his torso, blowing him back to the wall next to the window._

_It was a miracle he hadn’t flown right through given the formerly sturdy wall was now adorned with cracks and looked as if it would fall apart any moment._

_Dishonorable tactics…and those eyes, is this really Mondo?_

_Much to her surprise, Mondo picked himself up from the indent he had made on the wall and cracked his neck, looking no worse for wear._

_It would be unwise to underestimate him, he was chosen by Hope’s peak for his brutality after all._

_She could have called for the others but in this situation, that decision may only place them in danger. No, this was something she had to deal with personally._

_Without the use of strategy or tactics, he laid out another frontal assault but she was certain the end result would be the same._

_He bore his metaphorical fangs against her. Sakura prepared to block his swing as it came inches from her own however, Mondo had stopped that very inch short and instead switched to his right fist._

_A fake_

_She strained herself to dodge but she managed it.  From there, Mondo merely assaulted her with a flurry of fists and she caught and deflected every last one of them._

_This exchange carried on for nearly a full minute before Sakura saw an opening to knee Mondo in the gut, sending him backwards once again._

_Only this time he hadn’t been pushed back nearly as far._

_Sakura could feel her wound beginning to take its toll. She had no intention of hurting her classmate, who was blatantly unwell but his movements were increasingly becoming unpredictable. If the fight dragged on at this pace…_

_Before she could finish her train of thought, Mondo was on her again. He dove under her and launched an uppercut. Sakura had no choice but to step back in order to evade the blow._

_At that moment, she had realized her folly._

_From the previous barrage of fists, she had been forced to take a few steps back. Unbeknownst to her, she was right at the door’s entrance however after Mondo’s last attack, she had backed off even further._

_Now he had room to escape and spared no time taking it.  He fled to the right and ran towards the lobby with speeds Sakura couldn’t believe he possessed._

_He’s running away, this is bad…_

_She gave chase and immediately noticed her disadvantage. She had been able to contend in a space where she required little movement but large motor actions caused her injury to worsen and blood to flow quicker. She simply couldn’t keep up in this state._

_It was then that she detected a musky scent in the air. It was a smell she would know anywhere, smoke._

_The fire alarms came back in full force but this time she knew it wasn’t a false alarm. Mondo noticed as well which explains why he came to a temporary halt near the exit, as if debating whether to escape._

_Sakura used this opportunity to shoulder bash him out of the building. He flew back several meters and landed unceremoniously on the hard cement._

_Once outside as well, Sakura took her eyes off the biker for a moment to check the state of the building and as she feared, smoke and flames seeped out of the windows on the upper floors and were making their way down._

_Hina and the others, I need to-_

_Only years of martial arts training could have prepared her in sensing the waves of killing intent emanating from behind. She rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Mondo dropping his heel onto the pavement._

_His heel had sunk into the ground, creating a miniature crater where she had been standing._

_That was intended to be a fatal blow._

_“…I see. If that is your intent then I will meet you with equal use of force.” The entire time, Sakura had focused only on defense and minimized the amount of damage she could incur on her classmate…she no longer had that luxury._

_As if contrasting Mondo’s crimson, Sakura’s eye shone a bright azure. The ogre took a proper fighting stance for the first time and the air itself tensed as she did.  She would make the first move and that would be the end of Mondo’s resistance._

_Or it would have, had her concentration not been thwarted by obnoxious chatter_

_“Kyahahahaha! What’s this, what’s this? A hot session between our resident beefcakes? Why wasn’t I invited?” Both fighters turned their attention to the newly resuscitated Genocider Syo in all her ravenous glory.  She arrived by jumping from one of the upper floor windows and now stood in front of them, creating a triangular formation between the 3._

_“There you are.”  Sakura heard Mondo speak the first time since he woke, she had begun to think he was no longer capable of that function._

_“Hm?  I was joking about wanting to be invited, baguette. Master is the only one from me.” The serial-killer said, pointing her scissors at him as a gesture of intimidation._

_“I ain’t gonna put up with your nonsense. Tell me where rich boy is or I’ll beat it out of ya…well, that’s going to happen either way so feel free to keep yer trap shut if you’d like.” He spoke without mercy and was determined to carry out his threat._

_“D-Did I just hear that right? Did Muscle head just threaten my Adonis? Kyaha- wait, this isn’t funny at all. Say, are you **trying** to get killed by me?” Genocider said, as vicious as she sounded, there was little doubt of her confusion. The entire scenario that played out before her made no sense…okay less sense than usual._

_Mondo didn’t reply, he simply directed the bloodlust that was formerly aimed at the martial artist towards Genocider._

_Now that was a language the bespectacled murderer could understand and she readied herself to respond in kind._

_What was Ikusaba doing? Sakura thought   ._

_No. Genocider’s unexpected appearance may have worked to her advantage.  She had let the blood rush to her head because she was backed into a corner…or perhaps her warrior spirit had simply been roused. Regardless of the reason, with Genocider here, Mondo’s attention and effort would now be divided. All she needed to do was check the serial killer._

_“Are you sure it is wise of you turn your back to me, Mondo?”_

_That caught the biker’s attention._

_“And let this be a warning for you as well, Genocider. I will permit no more killings in my presence, be they friend or foe. If one of you insists on attacking the other, I will take that opportunity to put the both of you down immediately. Likewise, even if both of you come at me, the end result will be the same.”  An aura of intimidation exuded from every inch of the martial artist’s body._

_It was a stalemate. Sakura’s threat had made itself known therefore, neither Mondo nor Genocider made a move. Attacking now would defy common sense._

_Unfortunately, common sense did not exist in Genocider’s dictionary._

_She sprung to attack Mondo. He retaliated. Sakura made her move._

_The result could only be described as pure chaos; a veritable hurricane of fists, kicks and shears filled the air._

_If one made a move, another would be there to counter immediately, and would need to prepare for the third’s attempt even then. It was a perfect deadlock; neither combatant could leave any openings therefore neither could fight at full-capacity._

_This was the optimal situation for Sakura, the only one of the three who wished for such a conclusion and this check would remain so long as Mondo and Genocider did not join forces against her. An event that was evidently impossible on the part of the former._

_Sakura couldn’t fathom where Mondo’s hostility came from and she hadn’t the space to think about it any further. In combat, wasted thoughts were tantamount to a wasted life._

_It was a pity_

_Had circumstances been different, she would have reveled at the joy of testing her mettle against worthy opponents such as these. The training facilities at Hope’s peak were state-of-the-art the likes of which she had never seen, even her own dojo which comprised a legacy spanning hundreds of years of martial arts practices could not compare. In the end however, they were merely equipment and could not even begin to compare to live combat._

_Truly, a pity._

_Their battle could have gone on for hours but it was only a matter of time before they were interrupted._

_“What the hell are you guys doing?”  All 3 stopped and stared in the direction of what sounded like Asahina’s voice._

_What they saw were the remaining students having escaped the hospital and staring at them with varying expressions of awe, worry and fear. In truth, they had been there sometime earlier but what they had seen left them in a trance._

_All but one Ryouko Otonashi, who appeared unimpressed at their scuffle and was piggybacking who looked to be Ikusaba._

_It was at this instant where Genocider thrusts her scissors towards Mondo. The gang leader was taken off-guard and consequently unable to prevent Genocider’s scissors from grazing his right eye. Blood spurted out the cut, much to the horror of the others.  Mondo did not so much as yelp at the wound._

_Genocider took this opportunity to cackle madly and ran out of the area with great agility._

_Mondo recuperated within moments  and went after her_

_“We’re going after them, Hifumi!” Celeste ordered as she along with her servant, chased them._

\---

“So Mondo’s target was Genocider while Celeste and Hifumi went along. A predictable turn of events once you see the pattern.” Kyouko said, thoughtfully.

 “I needed to make sure everyone else was safe so I had to let them go. My apologies.” Sakura said, ashamed of her failures.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Sakura. You only did the best you could and frankly, I’m just glad you and the others survived that.” Makoto said

Sakura’s expression turned grave “…Perhaps not. I suggest you look for Ryouko, Makoto. She left in the direction of the hotel with her sister on her back. I cannot be sure but perhaps Ikusaba was injured by Genocider.”

 “Do as she says, Makoto. I still have some questions here.”

He heeded the girls’ advice but not before listening in on a question posed by Kyouko. Something along the lines of “Do you have any idea who started the fire?”

_…Who?_

_\---_

 On his way to the hotel, he came across a perplexed Leon, as if unsure of what to do in the current situation. For Makoto, that didn’t matter. He had questions that desperately needed answering.

“Leon. What the hell?” He said angrily as he stomped his way towards the other boy

“What did I do?” The athlete responded

“Everything wrong! What happened to not staying away from Celeste and Sayaka?”

“That wasn’t my fault. Celeste found me right after you guys left and listened in on the conversation. I didn’t think she could do any harm so I brought her with me.”

A fair defense if true so Makoto decided to let that end slide and focus on the more important detail

 “Sakura told me you left Celeste alone with Mondo, why?”

“I saw Sayaka walking down the halls with this glum look on her face she’d been packing the whole day. Thought I’d act as a little comfort, if you get my meaning.”

In truth, he had done nothing wrong. Not knowingly yet he had opened the proverbial Pandora’s Box because of his lack of foresight.

Frustration rose from within, if he stayed any longer, he might do something he’d regret…which would probably end up badly given how much more physically adept the older boy was “You’re impossible…did you see Ryouko on the way?”

“Oh yeah, she was carrying Mukuro and walked right by me without saying a word. Ouch right?  Speaking of which, Mukuro didn’t look so hot.”

That was all he needed to hear before continuing to the hotel. 

\---

From the compound, Makoto could see light coming out from to one of the open rooms. He approached the area carefully in order to be sure whoever was staying there was friendly.

Inside, Ryouko knelt over what Makoto deduced to be her older sister’s resting on the bed.

“She’s dead.”  Ryouko must have known he was there because she didn’t even turn back to face him. The words she spoke however, made Makoto’s blood run cold.

Makoto rushed over to the auburn-haired girl to confirm her statement and sure enough, he saw that the soldier had suffered an injury that no human could survive untreated; a wide gash across her throat.

Ah, there was that vomiting sensation again.

“Why did this have to happen? Goddamit!”  He yelled and slammed his fist against the wall. The recoil seemed to hurt him more than anything.

He had spoken with Ikusaba…no Mukuro, just moments before. She smiled and laughed just like any other girl but that was over with now. To add insult to injury knew there was no way to pin this murder on an outsider.

“…Why indeed. A strange way for sis to go out, I’d say.” A despondent Ryouko answered his rhetorical question without any trace of emotion.

“D-Don’t you care? Your sister just died!” He asked, shocked. He admittedly wasn’t all too aware of the their relationship but surely they had to have been close.

“Yeah, I’m the one who _just_ told you that, remember?  Whether I care isn’t the problem, I’m just observing something weird.”

“I’m skeptical thinking there’s something not strange about this.  _All_ of this.” Makoto said, sarcastically.

“Not that.”  The amnesiac placed her index fingers on both sides of her temples and closed her eyes

“Yeah, like this doesn’t really work out.  The width of the cut and circumstance of the killing implicates Genocider and her scissors as the murder weapon but Touko managing to kill big sis, is statistically improbable when comparing their specs.” The analyst opened her eyes and finally faced him

“About a 3% chance I’d say because there’s no way sis would fail to see Touko turning into genocider. Stinky would have hit the ground the second she sneezed-On the other hand, Genoicder killing her quickly and silently enough for nobody else to notice? The count drops to 0….unless she had help? The only other way would be...” She mused, tilting her head quizzically.

“You think one of us helped her escape?”

“Muku was known in her dog squad for never being injured in war so I’m pretty sure almost nobody here could have pulled that off…Wait, that’s not right, I could and so could you.”

_Me?_

“Yeah, you could totally be the killer. You’ve got no alibi either.”

“I’m innocent!” He countered. “And why makes me special compared to everyone else?”

“You sure are deeense…then again, big sis was all that good at the whole ‘expressing my feelings’ deal either.  Ugh, this is annoying, you just are okay! If anyone could have been an accomplice, it would be one of us and I didn’t do it. Way too important not to write down in my notebook.”

He didn’t like where this was going. The last thing he needed was to be the new suspect. “I wouldn’t even have a reason to kill her. Aren’t you the ultimate analyst? Why can’t you figure this situation out?”

“That’s true…a motive is indeed the issue here.  Say Makoto, did I ever tell you how my talent worked?” She raised an odd question out of the blue

“Not really. Any time I asked, you’d call it a long story, forget and then say it again the next time.” He scratched his hair

“That does sound like me but no biggie, now is a good a time as ever then. “ She stood up and towered over the boy

“As an abridged, my talent lets me figure out stuff easy, like ESP. To put the detailed version in layman’s terms, I want you to picture two end points: Your perspective is Point A and the object of interest is point B  and there is a line that connects the two– Now imagine a scenario where your sister birthday is coming up…what was her name again? Komakkie?”

“Komaru!”

“Komarie it is. So let’s posit that you, her brother, who I would assume has a better idea of her likes/dislikes than the norm, attempted to give her the most ideal gift. How would you go about it?”

“Okay. Well she’s got hordes of manga at home so I could get her a copy of Sailor moon.  If not that, I could introduce her to Sayaka but that might be overkill. I guess a middle ground would be finding her a boyfriend, she’s always complaining about that whenever I visit for Christmas.” He murmured, given her question quite a bit more thought than the girl intended.

Ryouko’s expression was the picture of disgust “Uwaaah, you really do have a sibling complex…I can work with this though.”

“Why does everyone say that?” He whined

“The point is due to your position, you are entitled to a variety of resources that would allow you to come closest to the objective of satisfying your little sister, at least compared to a stranger.”

“Using the end points as an example:  think of everything that comprises the concept of an action…or perhaps reality itself as a network of connections that expands infinitely.  Now imagine these connecting lines as inactive until they are prodded by information and light up. A relatively uninterested bystander like a classmate with a passing fancy might be able to generate a single connection however you would instead make _several_  branching out from point A and connecting to point B.”

“You know Komarie likes books --> Buying some would make a suitable present -> Successful connection

 Komarie wants a boyfriend -- > You cannot reasonably provide this nor would she want you to -> Connection failure and the line shuts down

Give Komarie Sayaka --> A bit sadistic at the expense of our favorite pop star but it could work -> successful connection.”

He was starting to get an idea of what her explanation was alluding to. Like the process of neurons transmitting information via a synapse in the brain

“Naturally, it’s possible for the lines to connect to each other before arriving at point B in order to reach the most optimal conclusion. These lines all signify the data, the logical reasoning and the process that makes an end result possible or impossible. Feel free to call these metaphorical connections, a **[logic dive].**

In the case of someone like Kyouko, she can illuminate a larger amount of logic drives in this network than most. Using the first as an example, Kyouko wouldn’t stop at just buying books. She would think of where the money would come from. What time she would purchase it. What location she would make that purchase. How she would present it to the target. What she can expect their reactions to be in advance etc.  See. There are a greater number of active lines because Kyouko’s actually intelligent. ”

Ryouko’s expression hardened more than Makoto thought possible. It looked like he was staring at a doll.

“Those burdened with the talent of ultimate analyst are given something of a cheat code. The entire network is active right from the start. It is just a matter is of paying attention to them…no, I suppose that’s not quite right. Even instinctively, we are capable of making connections without consciously being aware that we _need_ to make them to begin with. If there was someone out there who I would have a fateful encounter with one day, I would realize that fact just by crossing paths with them even if I had no idea what specifically separated them from the drones of society.”

“So why can’t you use that here?” _And is she slipping out of character?_ He thought. It always unnerved him how her normally whimsical personality _could_ abruptly transform into one so mechanical.

“An error. I do not quite understand it myself but there must be an element that has shut down one of those lines beyond my ability to activate them. To re-use the birthday girl analogy, keep the objective and your motive the same but instead of implementing the 3 logic dives used as examples before, replace them with you deciding to stab your sister with a kitchen knife.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” He was saying this a lot lately.

“Ding Ding, we have a winner! It doesn’t make sense because your hypothetical action is both extreme and counter-intuitive. There is no genuine logic or semantic reasoning present nor do any of the other lines contain information that suggests a temporary lapse in sanity. It is an irreconcilable error causing the logic dive to remain inactive, permanently.”

Afterwards, she suddenly glared at him. Makoto took a step back as her gaze seemed to pierce right through him.

“You are much the same. I can’t read you because of your luck you see. That talent is inseparable from your existence and there is no pattern behind it. A complete outlier...perhaps that’s why I think you’re suspicious.”

“If that’s true then the killer has to be insane…could it really have been Genocider?”

“Please tell me you didn’t buy into Celeste’s assertion about madness not being able to be reasoned with. You’re not unintelligent and I said earlier that I could account for Genocider’s chances against Mukuro didn’t I?”

_True_

“The term insane does not infer what you think it does in a literal context. Just because society has labeled some poor fool as clinically insane does not remove logic from their actions or excuse behavioral patterns, they just operate differently from the norm so I can see the process behind their actions just fine. No, what we’re dealing with is not something that mundane. I have no clue what it is though.” She shrugged as if her failure to find the killer was little different from failing a math quiz

 “For me, my talent is half-assed, if that. The lines aren’t shutdown but they aren’t 100% active either. Rather I would approximate they have a base rate of about 30% which makes it harder for me to make connections or feel them instinctively. What’s more is that any connection made is temporary, a few minutes to days at most before they revert to their base levels and I forget.  I’ve deduced that this defect is caused by my chronic amnesia and irreversible as a result.”

“That’s…horrible.” He said, dejectedly

Ryouko tilted her head again, as if she didn’t understand the reason behind his concern. “Is it though? I think it worked out A-okay and I would also think you of all people would agree.”

“Eh?” This was what made the amnesiac a fun person to be around and also unnerved the crap out of him. He could never keep up with her pace.

“You just accused me of not caring about Muku riiight? _Come on_ , can’t you see the reason for my using networks and connections as analogies?”

She didn’t wait for an answer.

“The reason is that my talent allows me to see and understand everything in this world that operates under the rules of logic. Seeing the future through logical equations along with predicting the actions of everyone and everything around us to perfection would be child’s play. See my point?”

“I think what you’re getting is at is that you’d feel trapped, mentally I mean?” He asked, unsure of his conclusion.

“Eeeeeeeh, you get 40 points."

40 out of what? He wanted to ask but the words were caught in his throat as he saw that detached look in the analyst’s eyes again.

“From what I can discern, If there were to be another version of me in some parallel world that lacked my forgetfulness…they would be no different than a machine. A soulless husk unable to take action of their volition and would wither away without the influence of another. An existence that can grasp everything this world has to offer however, can experience nothing from it and ultimately _does_ nothing with it. An existence like that can only be described as dreadfully, abominably, tediously and incomparably… _boring_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Info-dump: the chapter, is complete.
> 
> Took a completely different turn from how I'd originally planned. Sakura's segment was just supposed to be a brief recollection of what she had seen but then I thought 'hey, this is a chance to show off what badasses the tanks of the group were in real-time' and lo and behold, my first fight scene. Wonder if turned out okay.
> 
> As for Ryouko. I thought it was a good chance to go in-depth in how her/Junko/Izuru's talents work and used one of the mini-games in DR as the basis; weird how that fit in so nicely. Furthermore, highlighting the difference in awareness between Ryouko and the other 2 made for a convenient *cough*cop-out*cough* explanation for why Ryouko wouldn't solo the island's mysteries. 
> 
> Speaking of mysteries, there were quite a few hints here if you look closely.


	5. Nemico / Enemy

Ryouko waited by the door while Makoto said his final goodbyes to Ikusaba Mukuro; resting on the makeshift bed with arms folded over her chest. He almost thought she seemed at peace…were it not for the cruel gash across her neck. 

He could only imagine how much pain the girl had experienced. He could even see the bloodstain on her gloves, likely due to clutching the injury before she drew her last breath.

He turned towards the door way and never looked back.

\---

Everyone regrouped at the Typhoon and Makoto had told the others of Mukuro’s passing. The reactions among his classmates varied from disbelief to fear. The former category comprised of Leon, Sakura and Hina while the latter was from Hiro, who seemed to be mentally out of reach for the moment.

Kyouko’s reaction was neither. Her mask appeared  perfect to most however Makoto had experience on his side and what he could gleam based on that knowledge was a look of confirmation mixed with something else he couldn’t quite place.

Sayaka was somewhat more difficult to read. Not particularly because she was better at hiding her emotions but because she went about it in a more flexible way.

Kyouko’s stoicism was like armor, so durable that it would meet most attempts at piercing it head on and prevail without a chink to its structure.

Sayaka on the other hand could be called a mirror. One that flawlessly reflects whatever you wanted to see so there would be no reason to even try and break through it.

He knew something was wrong but that was all. His classmates were exceptional at keeping to themselves.

“I’ll need everyone to give me an alibi on what they were doing this evening.”  Kyouko said, assuming the position as leader

“What for?” Leon argued

Kyouko raised an eyebrow at the premature resistance “To keep a record of tonight’s events straight unless there’s a problem with something that simple?”

“So why does it sound like you’re suspecting us of something.”

He decided it was best to intervene.  “I’m sure Kyouko’s got a good reason and she’s our best shot at surviving here.”

“Whatever. Ask away if you think it’ll help.”

Kyouko nodded “We’ll start with you, Hagakure”

“Me first.  That’s easy, I was lying on the first floor’s couch after Celeste and Makoto had their little stand-off.  Hina came by me a few times so she can be my witness.”  Hiro replied

The swimmer affirmed his statement with a nod

“That’s fine. Did you happen to hear the sound of a windows or doors opening during that time?” She pressed on

Hiro rubbed his stubby chin, trying to recall the events from this evening “No, don’t think so.”

Kyouko frowned.

Makoto knew why.  It was a double-layered question: both of them had should have left around 7 in the evening. If Hiro really was in the lounge then he would have been able to clear suspicion by answering yes. More importantly however was that he’d give us a lead on…

“Oh wait. I think I heard someone leaving this evening. Can’t remember the exact time though but it was definitely before 8 pm.” Hiro said, jovially.

 “Just a moment, you sound like you may have heard signs of an intruder and did not think to tell anyone or check?” A dumbfounded Sakura asked.

“What if someone snuck in and killed Ikusaba, you idiot!”  Hina seemed ready to burst before Kyouko interjected.

“Calm down, Hina. Hagakure’s callousness aside, he is most likely referring to Makoto and myself.”

“Oh…wait, you guys went off together? At this hour?” Hina flushed.

Leon, Ryouko and Hiro snickered in his direction. Sakura kept her arms crossed. Sayaka…oh he could actually tell this time, that was definitely a look of disappointment.

“Not like that, Hina. Since it’s those two, they were definitely out investigating by themselves.” The pop-star corrected them, much to his appreciation.

“A likely occurrence but I cannot I approve of your disobeying orders, Kyouko.”  Sakura added.

“I did what had to be done. Now, Hiro, did you only hear the door opening once?”

“If it happened more than that, it would have been easier to remember.”

And just like that, the culprit had been cornered. Makoto understood the purpose behind Kyouko’s question. If nobody else had entered into the building, the killer would have to be someone who was in it from the very start. In other words, one of us including Celeste and Hifumi however, it stands to reason that Hiro wouldn’t be a suspect.  

Mentally, he chuckled grimly. What a disgusting, horrid turn of events this was turning out to be.

“Alright since Hiro’s in the clear, you’re next Asahina.” Kyouko said.

“I was moving around a lot so it shouldn’t be too hard for anyone to vouch for me. Can’t stay cooped up in one place ya know?”

“I believe you mentioned something about cooking back when me and Makoto arrived? Expand on that.”

Asahina described what had occurred when she had caused the alarms to trip.

“It wasn’t my fault okay; someone had to have messed with it earlier. I NEVER burn my food.” The swimmer raised her hands in defense. She was so sure of herself that Makoto found it difficult to doubt her.

“Hina might be right about that. I remember Hifumi playing around in there while I was looking for Makoto.” Leon said with a thoughtful expression.

“Hifumi …could it be?” Sakura began to speak.

“Save that for the end, Sakura. Right now it’s best to get everything out in the open before forming a coherent hypothesis.”  Kyouko warned “On that note.  You’re next, Sayaka.”

The idol responded without a trace of humor or hesitation “I’m not sure anyone can support my alibi. I moved around but not nearly as much as Hina and I didn’t come into contact with anyone.”

“In other words, you don’t have an alibi.” Kyouko frowned

“What’s with the coldness, Kyouko? For your information, _I_ can vouch for her. I saw Sayaka strolling around looking bothered and thought I could help. She turned me down though.”  Leon said.

“Indeed.” Sayaka sighed

“Very well but what would have troubled you so much, Sayaka?” On paper, Kyouko’s words may have appeared to be out of concern but there was clearly an accusatory element hidden within.

“This entire situation is vexing, Kyouko. Not all of us are used to being around corpses.”  Sayaka snapped back.

A dead silence filled the room as they the majority of the students gaped at her. Although Kyouko didn’t appear all that taken aback by the outburst.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Sayaka apologized

 “Let’s move on.  Ryouko?”

“I don’t think anyone can support me here. I was sleeping in one of the rooms for a while.” Ryouko responded, a bit too cheerfully for what her statement implied.

“No alibi then?  You were the one who found Ikusaba’s body so you are the only one who knows the details of the crime scene. With your talent, it should be easy for you to replicate anything worthwhile to us.”

“I’ll save that for after we’ve got a working theory going. ”

“You won’t talk?” Kyouko scowled but the amnesiac took the detective’s glare head on without flinching

“Not _yet_.”  Ryouko said curtly

Kyouko sighed.

“From what I’ve heard, we can suspect that Celeste and Hifumi are involved in tonight’s events. According to Sakura’s testimony, Mondo was aware of the events that had happened since morning despite being out cold the whole time.  Sakura also told me that Celeste had ample time to indoctrinate him if she chose to. What’s more is that Mondo’s target was clearly Togami while Genocider was the bait. In all likelihood, they wanted someone who could be traced right back to him.” The detective said, gravely.

Gasps were heard across the room

 “Moreover, Celeste would have had a clear motive after expressing her disdain for Fukawa earlier and with Ikusaba guarding her, Genocider’s escape would not have been possible.” Sakura added “It is also possible Hifumi may have tampered with the stove on the upper floors and caused the fire. This would give him and his ‘master’ the smokescreen they needed.”

“If you think about it, everything checks out. So one of them killed Ikusaba?” Asahina said.

“Doubt it, Hina.” Ryouko interrupted “When I found Muku’s body after the fire started, there was something I found interesting. Anyone care to guess? Hint: We saw it for the first time today.”

“…Another magic circle.” Kyouko stated

“Correct!”

“I TOLD YOU IT WAS A WITCH!” Hiro yelled.

“Shut the hell up!” Asahina replied

“For what purpose would someone do such a thing? To commit a murder, spend time leaving a signature and then burning the whole place down and destroying any evidence of it?”  Sakura ruminated.

Hina shook her head. “Maybe Celeste placed it there to confuse us?”

“Confuse who? Ryouko stumbled upon it by mere chance and had she not brought it up, nobody would have ever known. The risk is too great and they gain almost nothing.” Sakura argued against the swimmer’s deduction

“That is assuming Ryouko is telling the truth.” Kyouko said.

Ryouko childishly blew a raspberry in response “You and I both know that pretty much nobody can have an alibi for Muku’s murder anyway. No timeframe for when someone iced her. Even Makkie here coulda done it.”

“Hey, I told you I’m innocent.” He raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

“But why would Celeste even do any of this? Was she the killer all along?” Leon said

“No Its actually the opposite. Celeste has a great sense of self-preservation whether she realizes it or not. I assume she was unable to trust anyone else and decided to strike  before becoming a victim. It is possible Ikusaba was merely collateral damage.” Kyouko explained. “Anyway, we’ve learned quite a bit so what we should do next is clear but we can approach it in two ways. Find Celeste, Hifumi and Mondo and have them give us an explanation or we find Touko or Togami, have them explain their side of the story and we’ll come across the other three eventually.”

“What about Kizakura and Chihiro? He should have been back by a long time ago.” Hiro said

“No time to worry about that. If they’re safe then whether or not they are with us won’t change anything. Regardless that will be enough for now. I can see that everyone’s too on edge right now and are probably tired.  I’ll give everyone 45 minutes to rest, then we’ll meet up again so make sure to check the time on your bracelets. Makoto, I’ll need to speak with you before you go.”

The others murmured as they dispersed into different rooms within the building.

-Kyouko Kirigiri-

“Kyouko?”  He asked

“Keep your eyes on Sayaka’s movements.”

He gave her a surprised look. “I know she went too far there but I’m sure she didn’t mean it. That’s not a reason to single her out.”

Kyouko crossed her arms and give him a side glance “Not that…I mean, that was partly my fault but I don’t hold that against her. Do you remember what I told you about the suspects on our way to Ishimaru’s cottage?”

 ** _“I already asked the others the same question so unless they were_** _ **all**_ ** _lying then you’re in the clear for now. More importantly, following this train of thought would narrow the suspects down to Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko, Ikusaba and Sayaka_**.” **(Kyouko Kirigiri Chapter 3)**

 “I think you mentioned that Togami, Chihiro, Sayaka, Ikusaba and Ryouko were the only ones who could have killed Taka. You removed Ikusaba later and its pretty much impossible she could have done it now.”

“Indeed.  Togami, Chihiro, Celeste and Hifumi aside, Sayaka is the most likely the suspect without a proper alibi for now.”

“You don’t trust her? I thought you guys were best friends or something.”

In a rare display of emotion, Kyouko stared at him wide-eyed “Where did you get _that_ idea?”

“You mean you’re not? But you two were so close lately. Honestly, I was starting to feel left out.” He scratched his hair.

“I hadn’t thought much of It but I suppose you’d be right to say we’d come to something of an understanding recently but this isn’t the time or place to talk about it.” Kyouko continued “Besides, It’s _because_ I trust Sayaka that I can’t rule her out. Despite appearances, Sayaka Maizono is definitely capable of committing murder. She may not have started it with her career on the line but all it takes is for her to be backed into a corner.”

“I don’t think she’d ever kill but…I can’t deny that she’s capable of doing immoral things.”  He would know best as Sayaka had told him of the sacrifices she made during her ascension to the ultimate pop sensation. 

“Either way, I just want you to be careful around her. I have little doubt in mind that whoever is killing is working with an accomplice.”

At this point, that was practically unmistakable. Celeste and Hifumi were proof.

“About the circle Ryouko brought up…” He started.

“There’s nothing to say that’s changed from last time. If there really is such a thing as magic then it’s unlikely we’d be able to uncover this mystery using logic anyway. That would be our last resort and hopefully it won’t come to that.” Kyouko replied

-Sayaka Maizono-

Usually, Sayaka would have spoken up first after recognizing his presence. That this had not occurred when he, very loudly, approached her meant she was mad. Makoto expected that but to resolve the situation, he needed to find out _how_ mad.

“Sayaka.” He called out to her

She faced him and beamed brightly “Hey Makoto, What’s up?”

He stiffened

“Why are you clamming up? Did you need something?” She said, with a smile

“No...real reason. I just thought I could help calm your nerves.” He said, nervously

“That so? I kind of do need someone to talk to right now and since I know you’re soooo good at listening.”

It was the passive-aggression stage, several levels above what he expected and usually meant he screwed up big time. The longer he dragged this on without apologizing, the worse the situation was going to get. In dire straits such as these, he was forced to use  greatest technique of the Naegi family. Admitting you did everything wrong, which was partly true in this case.

He looked Sayaka square in the eyes  “I’m sorry. I know I promised to stay out of trouble but I _had_ to. If I didn’t, kyouko would have gone off by herself. Okay I know that sounds like an excuse and it is bu-” Sayaka cut him off with a raised palm and a placed her other hand on her forehead

“What was _that_? Just stop, I’m going to get a headache.” She said, still smiling.

“Y-You’re not mad?”

“Oh no, I’m pissed beyond belief after you broke our promise almost immediately after we made it. But I should have known better and predicted Kyouko’s moves. You’re definitely not the type of person to leave someone alone when you think they need help, even if you aren’t exactly healthy yourself.”

“Sorry?” He said confusedly

“No its fine I guess. That’s one of the things I like most about you after all. ”

He blushed.

“But how you get flustered so easily is definitely in the top 3. You’re Mr. Open Book for sure.” She laughed.

He groaned “Not you too. You girls really do get along.”

“Don’t worry its cute…you girls? You mean Kyouko and I right?” She inquired.

“Yeah, how’d you two get so close anyway?” He asked. Even if Kyouko had brushed him off, that didn’t mean he couldn’t an explanation elsewhere

“I’m not really sure I want to answer that.  I definitely won’t right now, maybe when we get back to school after all this.”

Makoto slumped at the results of strike two. 

“More importantly, there’s something I want you to have.” Sayaka grabbed his right palm and placed what Makoto discerned was pepper spray on it.

“Why do you have that?” He asked.

“Self-defense.  Idols don’t go anywhere without something to protect them but since you seem to like charging into things without a moment’s thought, I think you’ll need it more than me.”

“I don’t think I can take this.”

 “Don’t worry and I have more effective protection on me anyway. Just take it or I really won’t forgive you.”

When she puts it that way...

“One more thing.  It’s probably dangerous out there so don’t let your guard down around anyone.”

He wondered, she had simply told him to be careful…so why did he feel that what she really wanted to say was “ ** _Don’t trust anybody”_**

 ** _-_** Aoi Asahina-

“You getting ready, Makoto?” Hina addressed him from behind

He turned to face her “Just about. I wanted to see what everyone was doing before we head out. You  look a bit tired, maybe you should get some sleep.”

“You noticed. The truth is that I barely got a wink last night.” She yawned. Makoto thought back to how he had woken up to find her resting on him in the hospital. He chalked it up to Hina being mentally drained from this morning but there was apparently a different reason. It would probably have to be fairly significant because, as far as he knew, Hina was the sort of person who took care of herself. Putting her diet aside anyway.  

Regardless, it may be worth asking about “Was something on your mind then?”

“N-No.  I’ve just – skipped out on donuts this week!” She said, with an abnormal amount of energy.  It was without a doubt an unremarkable lie.  People as nice, upfront and honest as her have little experience lying which is why it’s easy to tell when they’re hiding something – or so Kyouko has told him repeatedly. Ah, Hina’s expression had deflated while he was thinking. Had he made his disbelief obvious?

 “It’s no good, huh? Really, it’s not that big a deal, definitely nothing like what’s happening right now. ” She said, but he wasn’t convinced. It would have to be something important to get a reaction like that.

 “Makoto, are you scared?” Hina interrupted his thoughts.

Guess she must be feeling the pressure. Maybe I can use this as a chance to take her mind off the situation for a while.

“Of course I am but…being scared isn’t going to solve anything. Plus I may not look it but I’m a big brother you know. My parents made me watch over Komaru all the time back when we kids.”

“We older siblings have to buck up in times like these.” Asahina giggled 

“Oh yeah, you have a little brother…Yuta right.”

“I told you a bit about him before, my case might be different from yours though. He’s a total pain, always charging into everything recklessly but he never cried once. I never really needed to protect him from anything. Maybe if I had back gotten some experience back then, I wouldn’t be so afraid when things get tough now, ya know?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Hina. I _say_ I was a helpful older brother but I messed up  a lot…kind of brings back some embarrassing memories.”

“Not true. I bet you’re a great sibling.”

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “Thanks.”

 As if catching onto a moment’s weakness, Hina’s grin turned predatory “That reminds me, you’re also great at dealing with the guys.” 

_Huh? Where’d this come from?_

“I guess?”

“You can admit it. I totally get that there’s something going on with you and Leon, no wonder you’re so dense when it comes to the girls.”

_Maybe she’s still sleeping because I don't have a clue here_

“W-Where did you get that from? We’re just friends.”

“Suuuure, that’s why he spent soooo long in your room before he got back. No fooling me, mister.”

“You’re exaggerating, it wasn’t that long and even then all we did was talk.” He saw her smile widening and caught himself “About girls, that’s all!”

Hina looked unconvinced

_Seriously, what about him made it so easy for everyone to tease?_

“Fine.  It wouldn’t be fair if I asked you to spill your guts if I won’t do it myself so we’ll call it even, kay?”

“Sure.”

Hina yawned again. He advised that she find somewhere to rest as they still had plenty of time.

 “There isn't really anywhere to lie down in this place.” Hina retorted

“You didn’t have a problem sleeping _on_ me earlier.”

“That…usually only happens when I have plushies or soft pillows.”

_Is she going somewhere with that?_

“If it’s not too much of a bother…” She seemed to be trying to ask him something but he wasn’t quite clueing in on-

_Oh. OH_

 “S-sure, feel free. I’ll wake you in a few minutes.” He blushed

“Thanks Naegi.”

And so Asahina found herself a new lap pillow.

-Sakura Oogami-

Naegi had noticed the martial artist moving slowly back and forth. Brooding too. Then again, it was difficult to tell when she wasn’t. Maybe this time, he might be of some help.

“Thinking about something, Sakura?”

“Nothing of import.” She paused for a moment “No, perhaps it would be best if I spoke my mind this once. I am not as intelligent as Kyouko or Ryouko so it may not be my place to decide what information is worth withholding. Do you remember when I spoke of Mondo’s actions at the moment the fire alarms came on?”

It hadn’t been all that long since she had told him but he it was difficult to remember things lately, not with those headaches.

_**It was then that she detected a musky scent in the air. It was a smell she would know anywhere, smoke.** _

_**The fire alarms came back in full force but this time she knew it wasn’t a false alarm. Mondo noticed as well which explains why he came to a temporary halt near the exit, as if debating whether to escape**_ **_. (Sakura Oogami, Chapter 4)_ **

 “You said he stopped and may have been thinking about his options?”

“And I still stand by that presumption. I would like your opinion on this; Do you believe Mondo would have made such a lapse in judgment had he known about the fire earlier?”

He raised a finger to his chin and contemplated the biker’s own thought process at the time “Not really. Since he was being chased, he shouldn’t have stopped if Celeste have told him about the alarms. He should also have known where Touko was being kept.”

“My thoughts exactly, she would have had all the time in the world to warn Mondo and it’s not as if he was unaware of the building’s structure.  If they were truly colluding, why would he have made such a crucial mistake? I do not believe Celeste would create such an amateur scheme.”

That all made sense but… “This doesn’t sound like irrelevant info here, Sakura. Why didn’t you bring that up during the meeting?”

Sakura closed her eyes as she spoke. “I may not be as intelligent as the others but that does not mean I am a fool either. I am unsure as to what Celeste and Hifumi’s roles are in all this but the fact remains that they turned on us. Until the weight of their actions has been clarified, we have no choice but to consider them the opposition…and I decided to make use of that fact.”

“Sakura?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing

“You are free to think less of me if you wish but my hands are tied. Ikusaba’s death solidified this. As someone whose’ martial prowess was close to my own, I never would have imagined she would fall so easily.  In less than a day, we have lost two classmates if not more and I refuse to let Hina become prey to malice as well. Therefore, Celeste’s betrayal proved to be opportune. Remaining on the defensive leaves us vulnerable and this killer, whoever they may be, is still illusive. You cannot chase after what you cannot comprehend…but we now have a confirmed target we may use to go on the offensive.”

She used Celeste as an excuse. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I wished to confess… and I have a favor to ask. In my current state, I may not be capable of protecting Asahina, much less the rest of you. In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi.” The ogre spoke in a tone of resignation.

“I refuse!” He yelled “Accepting that would be saying it’s fine to for you to die, I’m not having it.  I’m sure Hina would say the same thing and you know how she is. If _you_ act recklessly, then she’ll follow you for sure. If you’re thinking of her best interests then do your best to survive and so will the rest of us.”

An awkward silence passed between them

Sakura was the one to break it “You are correct, those were foolish thoughts. It would appear my mind is in greater need of training than I believed.”

“Uh, I didn’t mean it like that. I think you’re plenty strong there already.”

“It is fine, Makoto…and thank you.”

“No problem. By the way, about what you said about Celeste. I don’t think I agree with that kind of reasoning. If you wanted to get your intentions across, all you needed to do was talk to us and I’m sure everyone would listen.  If you acted on your own then how is that any different from what she’s doing now?”

“Indeed.  I am sorry for taking up your time given you don’t seem be doing all that well.”

“You mean about me fainting?  I’m over that. I think everyone’s on edge right now, you don’t need to give me any special concern.”

“That is not what I meant.” She said, before turning away from him and leaving

-Leon Kuwata-

Makoto spotted the athlete practicing baseball swings and approached him. He made sure to keep a few meters distance. Getting hit by a bat was probably the last thing he needed right now. Soon enough, the musician-wannabe also noticed him and struck up a conversation.

“I can’t believe that bitch pulled a fast one on me.” He said

“What was Celeste even doing there?” Makoto wondered

“While I was around, she was being her usual creepy self but at least she was _behaving._ She just sat on the only chair in the room and played with her cards. Didn’t say a thing else so it made staying there awkward as hell. Lucky for me,  Sayaka passed down the hallway and gave me an out. She’d been bummed out since we found her this morning though.”

“You mean after…Taka?”

“I forgot you were knocked out for that. Sakura was carrying you and Mondo.  Kizakura, Mukuro, Kyouko and I rushed over to Sayaka’s cottage while the others went ahead of us to the hospital. We banged on her door a few times before we got an answer. She said she’d just gotten out of the shower, which probably explained the towel, damp clothes and shampoo smell. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about there.  Then we went inside to explain everything to her while she got changed and afterwards, we met up with the others. The rest is history.”

“I see… there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary?” Makoto murmured

“Now that I think about it, I was standing by her window and noticed the umbrella on the nearby drawer was wet; maybe the rain just got on it somehow.  Asides from that, it was just Sayaka being a lot more moody than usual. Sure, some crazy shit happened but she’s taking nearly as bad as Mondo and Touko, or as close as anyone can get to those nutjobs. Even when I spoke to her after ditching Celeste, she just gave me the cold shoulder. Girls sheesh” He sighed

 “Now I’m just prepping my swing in case It comes down to bashing Mondo’s head to get him back to his senses.” He swung again (thankfully) in the other direction.

Makoto meekly took a step back “Uh, you’re not going to kill anyone with that right?”

“No way… least I don’t plan on it. Even if its self-defense, murder is definitely something I don’t want on my rep. The newspapers would eat that up and I’d be through, good bye Hope’s Peak.”

“Besides, if Mondo’s as tough as Sakura said then I’ll be the one who needs to worry about getting killed.”

Makoto recalled Sakura’s description of Mondo during their scuffle. From the sounds of it, Mondo was scary.  He hadn’t thought of the biker like that since their early days. “Just be careful, I don’t want to see anybody else get hurt If I can help it.”

“What’re you worrying for? This is me we’re talking about. If any psycho comes at us, I’ll knock him out in one blow.”

“That’s the kind of confidence that has me worried…but optimism is good.”

“Exactly so don’t sweat it, buddy. Not as long as Leon Kuwata’s got your back.”

-Yasuhiro Hagakure-

“Hiro I’ve got something to ask you.” He almost felt like a kid again for asking this. By that, he meant a kid who was still afraid of bed-time stories.

“Shoot away, little guy.” The fortune-teller replied

“After I first woke up, you said you had _seen_ the witch so you should know what she looks like right?” It was a simple question but the luckster felt he had been defeated in some small way. Kyouko had conceded it was possible for there to be a witch but nobody had actually thought about it in-depth. So here he was, thinking the much older classmate would have some answers.

“From what I remember, she looked about your age and real pretty too.  Pinki-ish blond hair. Twin-tails with bear clippings. Combat heels. Black-White shirt and one hell of a miniskirt.”

_…What?_

“You know for an ancient and vengeful spirit, she had a knack for fashion.” Hiro said, evidently taking the absurdity of his claims in stride. “Whoa, don’t tell me you’ve finally seen the light too?”

Makoto shot him a confused look.

“I mean, everyone else keeps suspecting each other but no way a human could have pulled these killings off and we’d have no reason to anyway. Then it’s got to be the witch, I don’t know why everyone’s wasting energy looking elsewhere.”

He wasn’t sure what to think, really so he nodded his head.

“More importantly, could you tell what my future is like?” Makoto requested.

“Only If you’re paying because I don’t offer service to anyone for free. Not even my own mom. It’s a rule I follow no matter what.” Yasuhiro informed him

“Fine, I’ll pay you back after we get out of here…just give me reasonable prices.” He sighed

“Done. Let me see what we’ve got here.” He pulled out his crystal ball and sat on the floor. From Makoto’s perspective, Hiro was just gazing intently at a transparent orb.

His colleague must have seen differently as his eyes lit up after a minute of observation.

“This is great. According to my prediction, you’ll be waking up in a classroom at Hope’s Peak in the near future. That means we win, right?”

Makoto patted Yasuhiro on the shoulder and reminded of him of his relatively low rates of success. Not that 30% was bad or anything, by comparison, he had a greater chance of success than anyone else recorded in the world. If anything, Naegi considered Hiro to be an amazing person in his own right. He thought everyone was.

“Don’t worry. I’m right 30% of the time, 100% of the time and I say we’ve got this.”

Sometimes he wondered if Hiro said stuff like this just to bait people. But Hey! Hiro had hope so who was he to deny him. He wanted to believe in the older teen’s predictions too.

For the moment however, he focused on a peculiar inquiry.

“Wait, whose future did you read to see the witch?”

“Yours.”

“Why me?”  Makoto looked surprise. If Hiro’s predictions were accurate then _he_ was supposed to meet this witch?

“No offense dude but your luck is awful. If anyone was going to run into her, It'd be you.” Yasuhiro explained.

He still didn’t understand though. “I thought you said you needed to get paid for your readings.” There’s no way Hiro could rip someone off so blatantly…then again…

Hiro sighed, as if he was about to go on a tedious lecture “It’s complicated but there are a few reasons for that. First, my readings are terrible if I do requests pro bono. Also, I don’t _think_ I’ve had had a single solo prediction come true if I told someone about it.” He muttered.

“But…you just told me. Heck, you told everyone.”

“This brings me to reason #2. I overcharged Kizakura yesterday, might want to keep that little detail between us if you can.” Hiro raised two fingers in front of Naegi.

Apparently, he could. Hiro could definitely rip off someone so blatantly.  “I’ll pretend I didn’t even hear it. But why go through the trouble, can’t you just read _your own_ future?”

Another finger shot up “Reason #3. I can’t do readings on myself because they’re wrong 100% of the time. Don‘t think I’d want to know either since Fate’s a scary thing. If my predictions are correct then there’s really nothing anyone can do to change it. Like if I told some dude they were going to be hit by a truck the next day, he could hiding in his living for the next 24 hours.  Too bad though, all that’d mean is the truck would crash his house and get him _there_ whereas he’d have been fine if he just went to work. Who’d have thought Fate was a closed-circuit, what a jip.” Hiro admitted.

“Then why just not tell him?”

“Sure _but who’s to say getting his future read wasn’t his fate all along_?  Besides, I can’t exactly tell a customer I won’t provide a service they paid for, much less lie about it.  I didn’t even back down against the Yakuza.” Hiro shrugged, unconcerned. 

“YOU went at it with the Yakuza?” It didn’t surprise him that the fortune-teller would get caught up in shady dealings but hearing he did it willingly was a different story.

“Yeah, we’re talking way back before I met you guys.  I was at an underground gala this blond, scary -looking, middle –aged mob boss came to my booth with his goons. I think he was from some big shot dragon clan or whatever,  I didn’t sweat the small stuff.  What really mattered was that he was paying me a TON to give him a foolproof reading and that he’d hire me permanently if it turned out legit.”

That sounded dangerous. By hire, did he mean…

Hiro continued “Now that I think about it, maybe he meant becoming his subordinate; wow I dodged a bullet if that was true. Anyway, I did as I was told and saw his kids were going to bite the big one. I told them the truth; best they could hope for was that I got it wrong.  Some of his guys didn’t like that and thought I was ‘insulting the clan’.” He spoke the last bit mockingly "Bah, I gave em what they asked for and they accused me of swindling them. _Me_? Can you believe that? “

“2 seconds ago, you just admitted ripping off our _teacher_.” Makoto said in a flat tone.

“Okay, that time but I was totally legit here but they wouldn’t listen. I bailed as fast as I could and let me tell you, all that shit you hear about the yakuza are all true. I was on the run for years, it hurts just remembering it.”

“But you got away right?” He stated what he believed to be the obvious.

“That’s the strange part, the chases sort of cooled down abruptly 3 years ago. One of their guys cornered me in an alley-way and I thought it was finally my time to sleep with the fishes.” Yasushiro shuddered

“He pulled out a black briefcase and placed it in front of me. I opened it hoping it wasn’t a bomb…but it was loaded with cash. It was funny because the amount was exactly 10x the amount the boss said he’d pay me. The yakuza dude told me it was an apology for their ‘shameful display’ or something and then left. Never saw any of them again.” Hiro confirmed his question but… Makoto gazed at him with doubting eyes.

“I’m telling the truth! Why does nobody believe me when I tell this story? ” Hiro shouted

“Don’t think you can blame anyone for that, it’s pretty out there.” Makoto looked at the man pityingly

“So are aliens but they’re real too.”

_Okay, time to get this trainwreck back on track._

“Why do you even need money anyway? I don’t get how that interferes with talent.” Makoto said

“It doesn’t need to be money. The customer just has to give up something worthwhile for my talent to work.  Your guess is as good as mine why but I’ve been at this for years and the patterns speak for themselves.  I don’t think it was always that way though, I’m sure I used to be able to make free predictions…my mom might know but she never talks about a certain point in my childhood. We’re pretty close so I can tell she’s hiding something.  I’ve never bothered pressing her on it though because why get in the way of making money, know what I mean?”

He really didn’t and he doubted he ever would

-Ryouko Otonashi-

“Makoto, don’t you think Kiri was totally being mean back there?” Ryouko whined.  The two sat across one another while she laid her head on the table between them.

“I can’t say but I don’t think should have antagonized her.” Calling her by _that_ nickname probably won’t help things either. “Why didn’t you just do as she asked?”

Ryouko’s stood up energetically and gave grinned like a child “I couldn’t help it. She’s been stumbling all over the place. I just had to mess with her a little.”

“Stumbling?” He raised an eyebrow as the unorthodox girl sat back down.

“Totally! She couldn’t make up her mind. The old Kiri may have been able to solve this case but not like _this_.”  As always, she spoke several steps ahead without a care to maintain pace with whomever she was speaking to. “Well, not like _**I** _ ever met the ‘old Kiri’ in the first place but my notebook never lies!” She held stretched out from her seat and held the notebook a little too close to his face.

“Uh, could I check that then?” He backed up a bit and smiled wryly.

She faux gasped “Never! Just because it was a present from you doesn’t mean you get to look. That’s a girl’s privacy you’re messing with, mister.”

“Right… In that case, I don’t know what you mean by the old Kyouko but I like the current one just fine.” He said, confidently.

“You _do_. I wonder if you get that it’s because you say things like this that I can’t stop thinking you’re the culprit. It would be a masterpiece.”  She said, calmly. A stark change from her cheery persona moments prior.

“ Stop being stingy and tell me you’ve been planning this all along. Have you been screwing your way into everyone’s hearts, learning our weaknesses so you could finally rip us all apart when you got the chance? If you do I won’t tell a soul, promise.”  She waved a pointed finger her finger at him in an exaggerated manner.

“That’s ridiculous.” He dismissed the accusation.

“I know right? Your acting skills are downright terrible; it would take a miracle for you to fool some of the guys in our class.  Ah but you don’t have to be acting. Maybe you’ve got a dark side, like a split personality?”

He sighed.

“Wait. That’s already been done. It’d take a real hack-job to make you Touko 2.0. Oh could Amnesia work?...No, then you’d be ripping _me_ off.” She gave him a thoughtful expression…as if any bit of sense could have gone into such thinking.

_Someone make her stop…_

“Hey, maybe we’re both in this together. Mastermind besties!” Ryouko said, happily.

He denied the possibility.

“Too bad, perhaps some mental defect may have helped explain why you’re having those migraines.” She said, matter-of-factly.

“You noticed.” Naegi frowned. He should have known better than to think he could keep it a secret from her.

“I’d be surprised if most haven’t but you’re pushing yourself so hard I think they don’t have it in them to tell you to stop. “

_So they knew? How many?_

Ryouko laughed “That look you’ve got. Don’t tell me you thought it was a secret. I did say you were a terrible actor, remember?”

His shoved his face into his hands for a moment and muttered words along the lines of ‘open book indeed’. He’d berated Hina earlier but he had forgotten he was _also_ one of those honest types.

“But hey, think about it this way. If nobody’s said anything despite knowing then you don’t have to either.”

He calmed down “You’re right. But  what about you? Don’t you think this situation warrants you to be a little uneasy?”

“Not really, I’m more bothered by how big sis died.” Ryouko replied. He picked up how deflated her response was in contrast to the rest of their conversation.

Bothered that she’s gone or interested in how it happened?  He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer

“We should probably meet up with Kyouko and the others now.” He stood up but noticed the auburn-haired girl had not done the same

“Go on ahead, I’ll be doing some last minute thinking.” She waved

Just as he prepared to leave, a thought plagued him. It was a question he needed to have answered “Ryouko….you really think I killed her, don’t you?” With repeated exposure to Ryouko Otonashi, he had learned to pick up signals, such as when she is and isn’t being serious.

She smiled and motioned him to sit back down. He didn’t decline.

“I’m not quite that socially inept, **_I wouldn’t joke about something like this in front of you if I didn’t earnestly believe it._** ” She started with a heavy blow “You fit into most of the pieces and are in my blind-spot; what sort of idiot would ignore that?”

“Then you’ve decided I’m your enemy? That kind of hurts.”  It really did but pain was something that was happening a lot tonight. By comparison, this only mildly registered.

“Ha? You? My enemy? Where did you get that idea?” Ryouko looked stupefied, much to _his_ confusion.

“You just accused me of being a murderer.” He said.

“All that means is that you’ve killed a bunch of folks, I don’t see how that changes things between us. Even if you did kill big sis, that just means there’s an exciting side of you I’ve never seen before.” She puffed her chest out with pride for the both of them.  He didn’t like where this was going.

“What kind of friend/big sister would I be if I turned you away at a critical period like this? Friends are supposed to accept each other and stuff, that’s what you told me. Er, what my notebook told me you told me.” Ah, there was the punchline. She had removed any sort of context and taken his words literally…and without question.

“That isn’t what I meant.  Friendship is a lot more complicated than that, especially in those circumstances.” And since when was she family?

“But Touko is part of the group and she’s an infamous serial killer.” She tilted her head.

He was probably the only person in the world who had to put up with this. And _this_ certainly wasn’t something he could explain in… -2 minutes, yeah Kyouko will definitely take this well.

 He sighed “If a friend ever tells you they’ve committed murder, don’t just accept it casually. You need to help them by _stopping_ them.”

“So…you want me to turn you in? I don’t think that’d end well for you.” Ryouko scrunched her eyes in confusion.

He needed to change strategies

 “Okay let’s try this: If you can prove I did it then feel free to turn me in to the others. However, you need tangible evidence.” 

“This sounds like a pretty twisted game, Makoto. Could be fun though, deal.” She shook hands with him to confirm the agreement.

_Looks like I got the message across in a harmless way, I think. I know I didn’t kill anyone so what’s the worst that could happen?_

\---

“I trust everyone’s had sufficient time to gather their bearings...some more than others.” Kyouko said

Makoto and Ryouko shrunk back at her words, knowing what she referred to.

“If so, we’ll be moving as a single unit towards the 5th island.”

“Why there?” Hina asked

“Because we‘ve already moved through the first and second islands, finding nobody worthy of suspicion. Moreover, the direction Genocider and the others were headed was on the 4th island and that’s where we need to be.”

“Besides, Kizakura should have contacted us by now. Even if the hospital burned down, we’re just down the block and he has a tracer.” Makoto looked at his bracelet. “For him to have been gone this long is a bad sign.”

“Don’t worry. That guy’s an idiot and you know what they say about invincible idiots.” Hiro interjected. The group stared at him, all with similarly dumbfounded expressions.

“Yes, that would also be one of the reasons. Chihiro was supposed to be at the 5th island research facility and finding him is one of our priorities.” Kyouko was the first to recover.

“And the other priorities are?” Sakura asked

“Togami is also unaccounted for so he’s in the same boat as Chihiro. Genocider must be apprehended as she’s the only witness to Ikusaba’s murder. Celeste, HIfumi and Mondo need to be caught as well to have them explain their actions. Lastly is to discover the identity of the culprit.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.” Hiro said.

“When looking at them as separate targets perhaps but I have little doubt that our objectives will be entangled one way or another.” Sakura extrapolated on the situation.

There wasn’t much room for argument so they did what they had to and left for the 4th

-4th Island-

“May I advise we split up here?”  Sayaka said, addressing the whole group and earning a few surprised stares.

“For what purpose would we divide our numbers? It would lessen our chances of survival.” Sakura answered.

“Why would all of us search two islands together? Moving at that pace and it’d be daybreak before we covered the entire area.” Sayaka explained.

“Maybe we can just split up into smaller groups and search a single island one at a time” Hiro said.

“Wouldn’t that just defeat the point of sticking together?” Hina countered the afro’s suggestion.

“We would have no way of contacting the other group if something dangerous happens either.” Makoto added.

Sayaka shook her head. “Risk is something we’ll have to face matter what. We should at least try to be expedient when dealing with it.”

“I agree with Sayaka.” Kyouko said “We’re wasting time arguing here as it is so we’ll divide into two teams. I’ll take the 5th island with Makoto and Sayaka. Sakura you’ll be in charge of all the others, your job is to capture anyone who isn’t presently with us.”

“Do you not think these choices of members are unbalanced?” A perplexed Sakura inquired.

“I fail to see the problem. The three of us are well capable of taking care of ourselves to the point where we’d be able to avoid a fight if it came down to it. Something made easier with having less people.” Kyouko flicked a strand of hair and sported a look of indifference

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go by yourself then?” Ryouko interjected, he knew that expression. She was playing around again.

“As Asahina said earlier, that would defeat the point.” Kyouko answered.

Ryouko huffed “If you say so, Kiri.” Kyouko sharply raised an eyebrow to the given name.

“Setting that aside, we should make less noise with just us 3 and we’ll run away if we find trouble. Oh, we should probably decide where to meet back up.” Sayaka said.

“Coming here is probably out of the question since the three of you won’t have investigated to know where is safe on this island. It would be more expedient to return to somewhere with a wide space for caution’s sake. I suggest the Jabberwock statue. If all goes well, we would reach there before the three of you.” Sakura advised.

“Good idea, we’d see what would be in front of us quite clearly. If there was nobody there or too few in number, that would be cause for concern.” Kyouko agreed.

They parted and went their separate ways.

“Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s get going. Kyouko, Sayaka, you guys make sure to keep Makoto safe.” Hina called from behind them and waved. Ryouko, Sakura and Hiro did too.

_Isn’t it usually the guy who gets asked that?_

He waved back

-5th Island-

The 5th island could have considered the least attractive section of the resort. Mostly because it was home to construction facilities, warehouses and even a miniature military-base. Apparently, this island was mainly for business transaction and scientific developments of that nature. Chihiro was supposed to be working inside one of Sea-King industries’ building, a research facility home to the largest corporation on the island and would normally be filled by 100 employees.  Ordinarily, the students weren’t allowed on this side of the islands and even Chihiro had needed clearance explicitly from Hope’s Peak and the teacher to be allowed here. Makoto had no idea what Chihiro had planned to do inside that research facility but it was no doubt related to machinery.

The trio had just (quietly) finished covering the Jabberwock factory and the resident Chinatown, the next location was in the way of the research facility. The air was pretty bad and the smell was worse, like he was at an industrial precinct. In a way, that wasn’t far from the truth.

 “So Kyouko, isn’t there something you want to ask me? That is why you agreed with my suggestion of splitting up.” Sayaka spoke up, walking in front of Kyouko and himself. Before now they had investigated in relative silence. Naegi had thought it was a bit awkward but he had a feeling the upcoming discussion wasn’t going to make things better. They stopped and waited for her to face them…but she didn’t. Sayaka merely kept up a slower pace.

“No point in stopping.” She began. “We’ll save more time if we talk while moving. Let’s be honest, we both know you wouldn’t be able to read me even if I was lying anyway, Kyouko.”

From the look of her expression, the detective didn’t appear to take offense…nor did she take the bait.

“Very well, if you’re going to be so accommodatingly upfront then I shall do the same. Did you kill Kiyotaka or Ikusaba?” Kyouko resumed her pace as well, staring at the idol’s back. As for Makoto, he trailed behind them with a sinking feeling of foreboding in his gut.

“Before I answer, what do you think? It won’t influence my answer but I’m curious.” Sayaka responded, still not facing their way.

Sayaka had taken the initiative in this discussion and played a move Kyouko hadn’t expected. The idol wasn’t under any obligation to answer the detective’s questions therefore to get information she had to submit to the blue haired girl’s requests lest the conversation right there and she let an opportunity slip away. However that didn’t mean the lilac-haired girl was backed into a corner. After all, what kind of ultimate detective is lacking in skill at interrogation?

 “Who knows? I can only say you’re undeniably suspicious. It’s preposterous to think you have no involvement in these occurrences whatsoever.  Isn’t that why you brought this up, to clear away guilt or perhaps confess?” Kyouko’s words didn’t match her tone. She spoke haphazardly yet her words were undeniably aggressive. Makoto was starting to remember what had occurred in the meeting and contemplated whether to interfere.

“If that’s so then why didn’t you bring Ryouko with us? After all, she isn’t any less suspicious than I am. If anything, you should have more reason of suspecting her.” Sayaka answered

“I thought you said you’d answer my question if I did yours.” Kyouko frowned.

Sayaka giggled

“I never said I’d answer immediately, did I?  But its fine, I know the answer anyway. You might have a shot at interrogating me but there’s no chance against a talent like _that_ so you decided it would be better if the most suspicious element was left with the main group. I wonder if Sakura picked up on that though, I can never tell how much she holds back…Oh well, Sakura’s modesty is one of her charms. I really like that about her.” Sayaka didn’t appear to be taking this seriously.

“Looks I went off on a tangent back there. The answer to your question is no, I did not kill Kiyotaka. As for Ikusaba…well, I don’t believe I could pull that off even if I tried. Facades are one thing but stuff like killing intent would be seen through in an instant I think.”

“In other words, you’re admitting to being capable of killing Kiyotaka.” Kyouko saw an opening

Sayaka laughed derisively “A total pessimist, I already said I didn’t kill anybody.”

“You were in a position to and are blatantly lacking an alibi. I have no reason to believe you.”

 Makoto could barely make it out in the darkness but he was Sayaka’s shoulders shook a bit at that.

 “You believe me when I say I couldn’t kill Ikusaba but not when I claim innocent? What’s with that you side-stepp…”

The idol stopped mid-way as she looked to the right.  Makoto and Kyouko, who were trailing behind naturally caught up.

He saw a look of amazement from Sayaka, an expression he and Kyouko soon shared as their eyes followed the trail of her own.

The research facility had been ripped to shreds. What the hell could he call this? There were slash marks everywhere on the factory- like a town of bears had their way with the place.

If bears had claws 3 meters in length that is.

What he knew for certain was that there wasn’t a human alive that could have done this.

“Let’s go. Chihiro and Kizakura may be inside. _Something_ has to be.”  Kyouko said with a tinge of fear.  

Makoto’s knees shook as he tried to follow the detective. Kyouko and Makoto were about to enter the grounds before a pair of arms held them back.

“Wait!” Sayaka grabbed onto both his and Kyouko’s wrists, keeping them in place with such strength that he felt her nails digging into his skin. “We shouldn’t go in there. We’re suppose to _avoid_ trouble remember?” Her head low making her expression unreadable.

Makoto could see Kyouko wince as she struggled against the other girl’s grip “Be that as it may, we’re not getting anywhere ignoring this. You’re the one who said risk was unavoidable, _remember?_ ” Kyouko bit back

“Not the time for this, Kyouko. Listen to me, _nothing_ good can come from walking in there. We should leave.”

“That’s not possible. I mean, Chihiro could be in there. What if he needs our help?”  This time Makoto chose to speak

“Forget about them! You think Chihiro of all people could walk away from that? Bullshit. He’s dead. Kizakura’s dead. Togami’s dead. All of them are dead.”  Sayaka shouted.

If anything was inside that building, they would probably have noticed them now if they hadn’t before. But neither Makoto nor Kyouko could even pay attention to that.

“What do you mean?” Kyouko said. “I may have understood you referring to Chihiro and Kizakura but nobody so much as mentioned Togami. What reason would you have to think he would be a casualty?”

Sayaka’s grip faltered as her arms shook.

“Why are you making everything so difficult? You’re both supposed to be smart so why? Why can’t you take the hint!?”  Makoto had never seen the girl in such distress. To be honest, it was starting to scare him

_Wait what did she say?_

“Um you’ve been hinting at something?”  He spoke gently as to not upset Sayaka further…unfortunately it appeared to have had the opposite effect because the blue-haired girl broke away from them. He rubbed his wrists and found he could almost see indents on them

“What do you know and what have you been trying to tell us?” Kyouko added, not quite as gently. Too fast for him to cut her off because it appeared that any more interrogating would have negative consequences.

Sayaka stepped back slowly raising her head.  He could see the bags under her eyes as she was on the verge of tears. To put it succinctly, she looked horrible.

 His thoughts were interrupted by Sayaka’s crazed giggling

“What’s with that look? Have you turned against me too, Makoto? ” She said, sporting an broken smile  “I wonder why I even thought  I could trust you two, that you’d be different from the rest. ” She clutched her own shoulders and shook. Makoto thought she would break down at any moment and began to approach her.

“Get back!” She brandished a knife she’d kept hidden in her skirt and pointed it at them, causing the luckster to freeze in place.

“I-I don’t really get this situation but we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s wrong.” There was no strength in his words. Because…

“ _You_ want to help _me_?” Sayaka laughed once more. “Then prove it. Prove I can trust you.”

He said nothing. He couldn’t say anything, not on the spot.

“Of course you can’t. Just like I can’t prove I’m not a murderer, you can’t prove you’re not on their side either.” Sayaka shook her head, cruel smile replaced by a blank, hollow stare.

“That’s why it’s best if we split up here. If you’re really trying to help, you won’t come after me. If you do then I’ll consider you an enemy too.”

The idol sprinted off in the direction they had come from.

“W-We have to go after her.” He said, but he didn’t move.

Kyouko broke out of her stupor.

“No.  You should know as well as I do that she was serious back then.  In her heightened state of paranoia, she may very well go through with her threat.” Kyouko said, regaining some of her composure.

However, that was a decision he couldn’t approve.

“That doesn’t mean we can just leave her like that!?” His voice cracked.

“Very well, I won’t stop you but then what of the research facility? We have yet to investigate or know what happened to Chihiro and the others. Should we abandon them instead?” Kyouko argued.

“That’s not fair, Kyouko!” His hair covered his eyes as he screamed.

“I know.” Kyouko responded.

But he stayed anyway and deep down, he knew why.  It was because…

“Let’s go.” Kyouko walked towards the entrance.

He was afraid of Sayaka. That’s why he turned his back on the direction she fled and followed Kyouko.

Sparing no time, they entered the battered building. Once inside, he could find no sign of anything resembling a bear or a similar wildlife, only destruction as far as the eye could see.  There was nothing remotely salvageable in the area, not that he would be able to tell with his lack of technological awareness. But there was a scene he had seemed to become familiar with over the course of a few hours. Even then, familiar may have been a stretch as what he had seen previously was not quite this bizarre. Kiyotaka had been missing a head that had yet to be discovered. Chihiro on the other hand was most likely all here…and everywhere here; with multiple chunks of what they used to call ‘Him’ scattered across the broken down room.

-2nd Island-

Sayaka had long since stopped running after realizing they weren’t giving chase. She couldn’t deny a small part of her was disappointed but it was for the best. Things didn’t go as she hoped and in the end, she gave away to the pressure and broke down. Like hell she could face them again after that.

 Then again, she wasn’t sure deserved to be near them after what she had done to Kiyotaka-and what she is still being made to do. Show business was a place where enemies were made and allies were tentative at best yet she had never felt as much hate for _anything_ as she did for _them_.  A near tangible state of enmity was searing through her.

That was fine. It gave her motivation and now she had time alone to straighten out her thoughts.

In all likelihood, she’d never be able to live with herself but that couldn’t be helped at this point. What mattered now wasn’t the past but the future. What could be done about it? Running away and averting her eyes had backfired spectacularly however that also meant the answer before her now was clear as day. She gripped the knife tightly in her hand turned around, heading back to the direction from where she came.  A sense of elation and excitement had melded with her anger; just as the rims of her blue irides were steadily overshadowed by a bright red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sayaka is the intended star of this chapter but I'm not sure if I handled her descent into madness well enough.
> 
> Next chapter, the mastermind shows up.


	6. Primo Maestro / The First Master

Naegi fell to his knees. Sobbing as he banged his fist against the cracked floor. He had failed yet again and another of his friends had paid the price.  He had thought Ikusaba and Taka’s murders savage – no, subconsciously, he had wanted to repress the implications of what the ultimate compass’ decapitation entailed. Taka was murdered, that much he had reconciled with but he had never considered exactly how much pain would he have gone through to _die like that._

And Chihiro, who was often thought the weakest and kindest among them, was forced to go through an even more heinous experience.

Naegi couldn’t recall a point in his life where he had been angrier; it was enough to surpass even the reoccurring headaches . If anything, he felt they were bizarrely making him calmer.

Once again, he tried to think about what could have caused these deaths?  The first two, despite their vague circumstances could have possibly been attributed to a highly skilled and dangerous human but this time? There was no chance of that.

The sound of clacking heels caught the boy’s attention as he raised his head to see Kyouko examining Chihiro’s various body parts.

The girl didn’t take long at all. She turned back and motioned for him to stand.

“We should regroup with the others. I’ve seen all I can here.” Kyouko said. 

“Did you discover anything?” He asked

“Plenty.  Rigor mortis already set in and I estimate Chihiro was killed more than 12 hours ago. If I could guess a time period, it would have been quite early in the morning and before Kiyotaka’s murder.”

_So Chihiro died first? And we never even…_

He wiped away a new batch of tears away.

“Kyouko…do you still think a...human could have done this?” 

“Yes, in fact I’m now more certain than ever of that.” She stated, boldly.  It was an answer that stood in opposition to the very ground they stood on.

“From what I can discern, whatever destroyed this place is certainly extraordinary however, that does not mutually exclude the element of human interference. Sayaka has proven this much for me.”

But she was just unstable, he didn’t have a clue what was going through her mind right now. Does that mean Kyouko did?

“Did what she said make sense to you?” He ventured

“It did…and it should have to you as well. Sayaka believed one or more of us to have been conspirators or perhaps the killer themselves. Why do you believe that is?” Kyouko explained, confused at his inability to follow her train of thought.

“I'm not sure, couldn't she have been paranoid?” It was an awful thing to say about his best friend but he could think of no other explanation.

“Sayaka was clearly in a state of anxiety but she wasn’t _deranged_. Paranoia doesn’t denote the level of certainty her words implied. Remember what Sayaka said.

 ** _I wonder why I even thought I could trust you two, that you’d be different from the rest. ”_ **_**You** _ ******_want to help_ ** _**me** _ **_?” Sayaka laughed once more. “Then prove it. Prove I can trust you.” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter 5)_ **

“Sayaka told us that she believed we would be different from _the rest,_ meaning that at some point, she had lost trust in everybody else. Now you could argue that she could have been closer to us and held more faith in our ability not to betray her…but then how would you explain what she said about Togami? Even you can’t deny that was impossibly suspicious and her reaction to our questioning all but confirmed she knew something.” Kyouko continued

That was the problem. He didn’t want to believe so he couldn’t piece those points together. Kyouko probably realized this.

“So what are you saying? You think Sayaka really is the killer?”

Kyouko sighed

“Admittedly, she was one of my top suspects…and even now I still doubt her but the reaction to seeing this place was genuine. There was no acting when she confronted us. What’s more is that this is _Sayaka_ we’re talking about. Her reputation means everything to her and she would do anything to protect it. There is nobody less likely to **_initiate_** a scandal than Sayaka, much less one with as much gravitas as murder.”

“Whether Sayaka killed is no longer the main issue. The problem is that **Sayaka knows who is responsible even if she _didn’t_ kill.** ” Kyouko concluded her hypothesis.

“If that’s true then why didn’t she tell us after all this time?”…If what she said was true then the end conclusion would mean…

_Arg, I’ve had it with these migraines._

“It’s simple, she wasn’t allowed to...that's why all she could do was give us hints.”

**_“Why are you making everything so difficult? You’re both supposed to be smart so why? Why can’t you take the hint!?” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter 5)_ **

_She was trying to tell us something…and we didn’t listen._

“It seems you’ve figured it out. First, we can assume that Sayaka was acting against her will…in which case, why is it that she never told us directly even though she was with all of us for most of the day? “

“The culprit must have forced her not to say anything.” He choked.

“Indeed. Do you remember anything she said that might clue you in?”  Kyouko prompted.

He began uncertainly “...I had the feeling when I spoke to her that she warned me not to trust anybody. This was during the break you gave us.”

“I see…then we’re at the worst-case scenario. For Sayaka not to have told us despite having every chance meant that the culprit had some means of keeping surveillance. In other words, one or more of the people in our group is the killer.” Kyouko closed her eyes, and spoke with a tone of resignation.

Makoto knew as well. If Kyouko’s line of reasoning was true then anyone could figure out where it ended. From the very start, why would the culprit ban Sayaka from telling us of their identity _if we didn’t already know it?_

“You can also see why I don't believe that some abnormal force is at work here.  This whole time, they left us a calling-card to signify their deeds so why go through the trouble of forcing Sayaka to abstain from telling ustheir identity? I am confident those magic circles were nothing more than a smokescreen.”

He felt another spike of pain on its way. It was getting worse…

“Hold on. Sayaka kept quiet this whole time, even after Celeste and Hifumi escaped with Mondo. Does that mean Celeste was also a smokescreen and the culprit was still was us this whole time?” He opened his mouth in shock.

“…Yes, that would be the most likely scenario. If Sayaka told you to watch out for someone then that couldn’t have meant Celeste because she had already made her betrayal known. We should head back to the others.”

“Now? But what about the teacher? He was supposed to be looking for Chihiro.” He spluttered. 

“Makoto…we have walked all over this island save the fourth and found no sign of Kizakura. Strictly speaking, he ought to have found Chihiro not long after he left and back when you were still unconscious. He didn’t have to search everywhere like we did, he had a clear destination…so why is it that we haven’t found a trace of him?” It was a rhetorical question and he doubted she would answer him even if he pressed it.

The unspoken truth was that if Kizakura wasn’t with the others on the fourth island by the time they returned then he was already dead. And that was probably true for Togami as well.

More than the emotional disturbance, the physical pain he felt was becoming unbearable. It took everything not to cave in tell Kyouko that she was lugging around someone who should be in a hospital.

_What.The.Hell?_

He doubted. Kyouko’s theory was sound but he doubted, he wanted to doubt as much as he could. He didn't want to believe his friends could kill, much less mastermind a mass-killing.

~~It hurt~~

They had shared an innumerable amount of experiences together. There had to be some other reasonable explanation

He trusted them. He knew them. They couldn't-

The migraines reached their highest point, so much that he couldn’t hold back this time and let out a sharp growl while clutching his forehead.

“Makoto?” Kyouko sounded worried, very worried. If his cover hadn’t been blown before, it had been now.

The pain faded at a far quicker rate than it came and soon he felt…relieved, like a fog had suddenly lifted somewhat. The metaphorical haze hadn’t completely lifted and he felt that this was a serious problem. He couldn’t recognize why but he knew instinctively, that he was missing something.

Nevertheless, enough had dissipated for him to think more clearly than he had been all day.

“I’m fine, Kyouko.”

“No, you’re not. You haven’t been since you woke up and I have no idea why you’re trying to hide there’s something wrong with you. Or is it normal to look like you just had a brain aneurysm?” She pressed, angrily.

“I’m…not hiding it this time. I actually feel a lot better now.” And that was the truth; he really did feel better than before...he still didn’t have any idea why but there were more important things to deal with.

“Kyouko, when exactly did you begin suspecting Sayaka?” Kyouko raised an eyebrow at the change in topic.

“The usual reasons. I didn’t have anything concrete to work with but her lack of an alibi and change in behavior may as well have been a giant beacon for me…thinking about it now; she may have acted like that on purpose. Sayaka’s weakness is that she’s immensely vulnerable to stress however, she normally has a poker face that rivals Celeste’s.” She answered cautiously, as if trying to examine the reason for his question.

“…That was it? You saw nothing else that made you suspicious of her? Even in her room.” He asked

“Nothing in particular, no. Did you think of something?” Kyouko inquired. She didn’t press on his condition. He assumed she had noticed his improved disposition.

“No, I was just wondering.” He said, scratching his cheeks. “We should go now. The others could be in trouble.”

Kyouko looked at him for a moment and then nodded. The two of them made their way back to the preceding islands. A thought stayed with the luckster all the while.

_Maybe they could..._

Sometime later, the duo could see a figure slovenly approaching them on the straight bridge to the 4th island. Kyouko motioned for Naegi to stop. He steadied himself in preparation but there wasn’t anywhere to hide.

Those thoughts proved unnecessary as the closing figure took a round shape both students recognized.

“M-Mr. Naegi?” Hifumi said weakly.  Even in the dark, Makoto could tell the ultimate had seen better days. He approached them limply and far too slowly.

As they moved towards him with caution, Naegi gasped. The writer’s shirt had been stained in a familiar red color as an impossibly sharp scissor was embedded on his chest.

  ---

Things did not go as planned.

For Celestia Ludenberg, that would be understatement of the century. This trip was meant to be a stepping-stone, a test-run to simulate her life of luxury and some (presumably rich) asshole had to go ruin it. Like hell ~~Taeko~~ Celestia Ludenberg was about to become roadkill for someone else’s amusement.

But that was also part of the problem. Nobody had seen the pompous Togami heir in over a day and that in itself was suspicious because he sought attention nearly as much as she did. It wasmiraculous enough that he hadn’t shown up to gloat long ago.

Ishimaru’s death was a tragedy to be sure but it was better him than her ~~right?~~ but the others did nothing about it and just stood around waiting with the obvious killer. That was when she knew there was something to be done and with a little help from _that person_ , she’d managed to gain the upperhand and chase down Genocider right to Togami.

 Or that was how things were supposed to go.

Genocider had wounded Hifumi at the carnival on the 4th island. The idiot couldn’t handle himself, had gotten stabbed by one of Genocider’s scissors and worse is that he couldn’tin p her down long enough for Mondo to capture her. The four-eyed bitch just laughed and ran at a pace none of us could keep up with. Naturally, I abandoned the fat pig after he proved useless ~~even though I forced him to come along.~~  Whatever his fate was, it would be ~~my~~ his own fault.

That oaf Mondo had been just as uncooperative. While their goals were the same, he was completely inflexible in his methods and merely charged into the funhouse without thinking. That was the last place any of them wanted to get lost in and to no surprise, that was exactly what had occurred.

They had lost Genocider almost immediately and then proceeded to trail around in circles inside the grape house. They had no choice but to find their way back to the entrance and think up a new strategy. It goes without saying that meant I had to, because Mondo was severely lacking in brain power.

Once they made their way outside, they found their precious classmates waiting there…well all but Makoto, Kyouko, Sayaka and Ikusaba.  They split into groups? Ha! That sounded like a fun time for those four. 

On any other day, such a catastrophic choice of members would have greatly entertained the gambler.

As expected, they bombarded us with tedious questions. Where’s Hifumi this? Why did you betray us that? Not a sense of ambition or initiative among them, how disappointing…Well, Ryouko at least seemed to abstain from that direction and was instead focused on Mondo.  Impressive as always, had I been in her place then I too would be more concerned about the changes in the man. Fortunately, it wasn’t my problem and most certainly was theirs.

They found out the hard way when Mondo rammed them. Leon tried to put up a fight…for reasons she couldn’t understand and was easily batted away. Sakura and Asahina fared better but it appeared the martial artist’s injuries were too much for even her to bear as Mondo managed to fend them both off splendidly. Celeste didn’t fight of course, manual labor was best left to the help. Mondo would be a make a C+ at this rate.

If they died then that would be their own problem. ~~I’m  the reason they’re here~~ None of the killings were her fault after all.

Predictably, Mondo emerged victorious and looked to deal the final blow on Sakura who was barely conscious.

That was where everything went wrong.

I felt a chill run down my spine as shrill laughter emerged from down the road.

It was Genocider Syo and while it sounded like she was laughing, her expression indicated she was anything but amused.

It appeared she had escaped while they had wasted time running in circles inside that godforsaken funhouse. She also seemed to have came from the direction of the castle…so why did she look that pissed and more importantly, why did she come back?

“Someone fess up.” The serial killer started “Which one of you dickweeds off’d my prince in the castle before I got the chance? Speak up and I’ll make ripping you to shreds half as painful as you deserve for that shitty joke.”

Everyone was speechless. If Genocider was telling the truth then…what had I been doing and who was the real killer?

As Celeste processed that information, she became aware of the situation she was in…this scenario was…

Genocider’s patience didn't last enough for me to finish that train of thought. The bespectacled girl leapt into the air and from her long skirt unleashed a _deluge_ of scissor-blades down at the group. 

_H-How was it possible for her to have that many?_

Dodging was impossible for a human and even if it was, she would not have had the fitness to do so. A fact that she would regret as multiple scissors carved their way into her flesh.

Before she fell, she saw Mondo charge headfirst into the rain of blades with reckless abandon. Sakura shielded Hina by covering the swimmer with her own body. Leon attempted to deflect the scissors away with his bat. Yasuhiro suffered the same fate as herself (how ironic). Ryouko…she could not see the amnesiac.

Her dress was in tatters. Arms, legs and even her throat were pierced as she was nailed to the ground.

Yes, things definitely had not gone according to plan. But, this would have to assume that she had been the chessmaster. Flip over the circumstances and she couldn’t call it anything short of perfect.

Ah, she had walked right into a trap.

A pool of her own blood had begun to form. To be killed by a serial murderer…was such a mundane ~~and painful~~ way to die however, part of being the greatest gambler in the world meant Celestia Ludenberg always knew when to fold. Accepting defeat gracefully was the best the loser could ever hope for.

 ~~But she still didn’t want to die~~.

\---

Makoto and Kyouko arrived at the aftermath.  The road leading to the funhouse had been showered with Genocider’s scissor blades. Not so many that moving through was difficult but the sheer amount of numbers was surprising nonetheless. An even more shocking detail was the state of the owner.

Mondo held Genocider in the air…by grabbing hold of her neck with one arm. The serial killer did not appear conscious. Whether she was still alive was unknow-

The sounds of broken bones were heard the very next moment. If Genocider had been alive when they arrived, she wouldn’t be now after the biker had snapped her neck.

A monstrous feat given the man himself had scissor blades piercing his legs and jacket. How could anyone even stand with that much oozing blood. Naegi was beginning to understand exactly what Sakura had felt when she fought him.

Speaking of the ultimate fighter, what the ahoge-haired boy saw next made his heart drop. As he scanned the area, he saw Celeste and Hiro speared by scissors…and unmoving.

Asahina held on to the giant Sakura tightly, wailing loudly. It was difficult to see from the angle he stood but there were so many scissors etched into Sakura’s back that it was plain as day what had occurred.

**_“I have a favor to ask. In my current state, I may not be capable of protecting Asahina, much less the rest of you. In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi.” (Sakura Oogami, Chapter 5)_ **

_So you did it anyway._

He didn’t cry. Maybe because the tears had already run out for him or maybe he had become desensitized…or maybe he was exhausted? He couldn’t figure out the reason but at the end of the day, he wasn’t panicking like before. He could only accept the reality.

 _I’m sorry_. He thought. That was all he could do for them now

Not just for them but their families. It was strange but he thought so clearly that he could even think pessimistically about the outcomes.

Even if they did survive, what then? They’d become victims of the media. Mondo would get the death penalty for sure. Sayaka’s career would never recover, assuming her mind would. Kenshiro, Ms Hiroko and the other loved ones...

He even thought of trivial details like how Hope’s Peak would handle such a scandal.

But that was the best case scenario. If this was a dream, he may as well play it out and wake up already.

“Did’ya both come to join the party?” Mondo said. His words may have seemed intimidating but he looked ready to fall over at any moment.

Makoto was the furthest thing from a medical expert but even he could see the gang leader’s injuries were most likely fatal.

“Don’t you dare threaten them, you piece of shit.” Leon stood up. He had fared the best out of the others. From the number of scratches on his metallic bat and the comparatively minimal injuries he received, Makoto surmised he had deflected most of the scissors. He wasn’t even bleeding much.

He saw no sign of Ryouko, so she probably escaped... No sign of Togami or Mr. Kizakura either.

“So what do you plan to do now, Mondo?” Kyouko said, sharply

“Syo said Rich boy’s dead. I’ll check tha’ out after I’m done with the rest of ya.” He threatened

“Shut up! Shut the hell up!” Asahina yelled. Makoto had never seen the tanned girl so furious but what else could be expected.

“All of this is your fault! You, Celeste, Hifumi, Syo and whoever the fuck has been killing everyone! I’ll make you pay for what you did to Sakura!”

Hina ran at the biker and Leon followed her.

“Hina, wait!” Makoto yelled but the swimmer didn’t listen.

He was about to run after them before Kyouko placed a glove hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the detective shake her head.

“Nothing we say can get through to her; we were simply too slow to act. If you go there now, you’d only be placing yourself at risk.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can just stand here and let them endanger themselves.” He said…but he knew that was also wrong. Asahina was not **presently** in any danger. One skilled look at Mondo’s form could tell that the man was on his last legs. His words earlier had been a bluff.

Mondo was being pushed back. He defended as well as he could but against both Asahina and Leon but the odds were against him. His knuckles cracked as they tried to deflect the blows from Leon’s bat and Hina’s own punches, even if the biker dodged them, would land on the scissor blades. The scissors would either be pushed deeper into Mondo’s insides or be blown off causing even more blood to spill. Something made worse by his damaged eye, he had a blind-spot that wouldn’t let him defend properly.

Makoto’s prediction came true quickly as Asahina landed a blow in the biker’s gut while Leon seized the opportunity to whack him in the chest. Mondo flew backwards and fell to the ground, unconscious.

It was over for him. They all stood in silence for some time before Makoto broke it.

“Ryouko’s not here?” He asked, drawing the others’ attention.

“She ran off before Genocider attacked us. Probably hid inside the funhouse when things got hectic.” Leon responded

Makoto gave Kyouko a look.

She returned one of her own and showed some concern. Eventually, the lilac-haired girl, shrugged and sighed.

“I’ll go look for her while the rest of you deal with this.” She said, as she sprinted into the funhouse.

Makoto approached the duo, with one hand inside his pocket.

Even standing a meter from Hina, he could feel her seething with confused anger. It was only natural. Mondo hadn’t directly killed Sakura, Hina just needed something to vent at and even that had lasted mere moments.

“I-I’m not done yet. Get up!” She marched towards the fallen Mondo.

What she felt was dissatisfaction in its rawest form. No matter what she did, Mondo would die anyway.

 “Oi, oi are we just going to let her mutilate the guy? He may have lost his mind but Mondo’s still our friend.” Leon voiced his opinion and Naegi agreed, he wasn’t about to let her become a murderer.

Still, he waited for Hina to draw closer to Mondo.

“I’ll stop her. Leon, watch my back. We don’t know what or who else is out here.” He said. The athlete nodded and gave his signature grin of confidence.

Makoto smiled amiably and moved towards the swimmer and the biker, his hand never leaving his pocket.

_If I’m correct then…_

He thought about all the events that led up to this point and the people who weren’t presently with him.

The steadfast Kiyotaka

The skittish Chihiro

The forced accompli Sayaka

The illusive Togami

The victim Touko

The whimsical Kizakura

The unreliably reliable Yasuhiro

The incomprehensible Ryouko

The unknown Ikusaba

The protector Sakura

The scapegoat Celeste

And the pawn Hifumi…

Makoto knew he had reached the answer when he felt the wind blow.

 -Several Minutes Earlier-

“Mr Naegi, is that you?” Hifumi spoke again, as if he wasn’t sure whether he could trust his own eyes. Was he already hallucinating.

It didn’t matter, they rushed towards him and settled the boy down.

“What happened?” Kyouko asked

“G-Genocider got me and Miss. Celeste abandoned me.” He was betrayed yet he still spoke of her with honorifics.

Makoto swore and looked at Kyouko fearfully. They had no medical supplies…how utterly ironic. He had burned down the hospital, the one place where they could have found something to save him.

“It was my fault for following Celeste and leaving the group. I-I was scared of dying and so was everyone else...but Miss Celeste,  she seemed as confident and sure as ever.” Hifumi spoke, his voice noticeably becoming lower

Of course Celeste seemed confident, she’s the Ultimate Gambler. Bluffing was part of the package and Hifumi bought it.

_DAMN IT_

“You’ll get through this Hifumi. We’ll find something that can heal you, just for god’s sake don’t fall asleep.” If Celeste could have kept Hifumi with her using deceit then surely he could do better with words of hope.

**It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.**

“Hehehe. Spoken like a true p-protagonist Mr. Naegi…but even someone who fantasizes as much as I do can see reality when it slaps me in the face. I’m done for.”  The writer solemnly said as he raised his hand into the air, grasping nothing.

Naegi caught it and shook the other boy “What’s with everyone? Why can’t all of you believe in us!? Why did you mess with that damn stove and burn down the hospital!?” He screamed

Hifumi gave Makoto a confused expression, as weak as it was.

“W-What…are you talking a…bout?” He was growing weaker, like an ember on its way out. “ ** _I didn’t go into the kitchen…and I never…trie…to start…a…fir..._** ”

 -Present time-

Hifumi’s sentence was left unfinished and nor would they ever reach completion.

He died

However, he had left the vital clue that they needed.

Makoto heard the wind shift and he threw himself down. If he wasn’t physically able, he trusted his bad luck to see him through.

And so it did, as unbeknownst to him, he had already begun falling the moment he started moving towards Asahina. His shoelaces came untied and tripped him up prematurely.

**As a result, the blow from behind missed its target.**

Before Makoto hit the ground, he pulled out the pepper spray he had gotten from Sayaka. The entire time he had shook the can inside his pocket. Now he stretched his left arm to hit the ground  and winced as he heard a crack but there was no time to think about pain Makoto used the momentum from the left hand’s contact with the ground to flip his body around as best he could and brought the bottle in front of his assailant.

Using his right hand, Makoto sprayed the can's contents at full blast.

A resounding cry could be heard as Makoto’s back finally hit the concrete. He didn’t stay down long and rolled into a rebound near Asahina. The girl had also turned towards him when she heard the pained scream.

The swimmer gazed at the scene in confusion. Makoto, who crouched next to her with what looked like pepper spray and **Leon Kuwata kneeling, with both hands covering his eyes**.

“What are you doing? Why did you attack Leon?” She asked

“Hina, get back!” Naegi ordered.

“You little shit!” Leon screeched, with his eyes still closed. He blindly tried reaching for his fallen bat before feeling new weight impact him from behind and force him to the ground.

Kyouko Kirigri had slammed into Leon from behind and placed him in a ground immobilization lock. She sat over his fallen form, one arm pressed on his shoulder/collarbone and the other to pull his right arm towards her. She was in a position to dislocate his shoulder if he so much as moved.

It was the sort of technique even a novice could see was perfectly executed by a master.

“Reckless but it worked as planned, it seems.” Kyouko said, matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, looks that way.” Makoto muttered

“W-What the hell’s going on here?” Asahina stepped back, nearly tripping over the biker’s body.

“I didn’t want to believe it myself…but there’s no denying it now. **Leon’s the killer**.” He said

To say Hina was in disbelief would be an understatement.

Makoto continued “It’s hard to explain but I had a feeling it was him before we arrived and made a plan with Kyouko.”

“He proposed that in order to expose the culprit, he would remain with them alone while I would pretend to be preoccupied and leave the area. Of course, we had no idea Ryouko wouldn’t be here. We initially planned to use Chihiro as a scapegoat but my searching for Ryouko’s disappearance proved to be more natural option – afterwards, I merely had to ambush the culprit once he had dismissed my presence and focused on Makoto. I admit, that was some quick thinking, Makoto. I didn’t expect you to be capable, honestly” She said, with a tinge of pride.

“Yeah…but you were in the way, Hina. Leon had stood by you the entire time so if I had called him out on it and he turned out to really be the mastermind then you could have been used as a hostage. That’s why I let you make some distance away from Leon.”

“No way. That’s…Then I was besides the killer this whole time?” Asahina slumped to her knees and brought her hands to her cover her mouth.

“Bullshit.” Leon spoke from underneath Kyouko, his eyes still clenched in pain from the spray. “You’ve got no proof that I killed anyone.”

“You’ve got that wrong!” Makoto yelled

Kyouko pulled at his shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain.

“To be honest, I was still skeptical myself. Before seeing you attack him, there were too many contradictions in the theory of you being the culprit and Makoto said there was no time for an explanation. Still, for Makoto of all people to distrust someone that strongly, there definitely had to be good reason for it. I merely decided to believe in him and it appears to have paid off.”  Kyouko supported him

“I have plenty of proof that you killed, Leon. I’ll show you right now.”

 

**-[Climax Reasoning: Initiate]-**

“Your scheme worked pretty well. From the very start, you narrowed our view of suspects using the timing of Taka’s murder and made it so anyone who was already inside the restaurant could not be the culprit. Unfortunately for you, that doesn’t exclude you from being Taka’s killer. All you needed to do was have someone else bring the body out into the pool.”

“That’s bullshit! Who the hell would have even _helped_ me?” Leon argued

“Not willingly perhaps but you could have forced someone to…and that person was Sayaka! Don’t bother denying it, Leon. Sayaka made it crystal clear that she knew exactly who the culprit was and that it was one of us. She also knew exactly who died. Sayaka had acted strangely the whole day and we would only have noticed that if she wanted us to. She was hinting all along that one of the students among us was the killer.” Makoto accused him

“Nice theory twerp but you’d have no way of proving I even had contact with her.”

Kyouko interjected. “But we can. Not only did you have _ample_ opportunity to meet during this entire trip but I can also prove you'd have at least two chances within the past day. The first was when all four of us had an outing before the day of the murder. You were the one who suggested to come along and had ample time to speak with Sayaka then. Furthermore, we can extend your time of contact to earlier this evening. You said it yourself didn’t you?”

 **_Truth Bullet: “What’s with the coldness, Kyouko? For your information,_ ** _**I**  _ ** _can vouch for her. I saw Sayaka strolling around looking bothered and thought I could help. She turned me down though.”  (Leon Kuwata, Chapter 5)_ **

 “You told me that too.” Makoto added

**_Truth Bullet: “I saw Sayaka walking down the halls with this glum look on her face she’d been packing the whole day. Thought I’d act as a little comfort, if you get my meaning.” (Leon Kuwata, Chapter 4)_ **

“In fact, you talking about Sayaka’s to me was what made me figure you out. Remember what you told me?”

**_Truth Bullet: “I see… there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary?”_ **

**_“Now that I think about it, I was standing by her window and noticed the umbrella on the nearby drawer was wet; maybe the rain just got on it somehow. ” (Makoto Naegi and Leon Kuwata, Chapter 5)_ **

“You slipped up, Leon. A wet umbrella that visible in her room? Sayaka would never do something so careless and even if she did, how in the world would YOU notice that _while Kyouko wouldn’t_ , especially when she was already suspicious?” He glared at the baseball star. "The only reason you told me that was to throw me off your scent wasn’t it? There is no way you couldn’t have known that I’d be suspicious of her if you mentioned that…but you got ahead of yourself.”

 ** _“_** Alright, so I may have the chance to talk with Sayaka a bit but you still haven’t proved I killed anyone. Hell, didn’t you two investigate the crime scene? The blood was still wet, idiots.” Leon snarled

**_Truth Bullet: “From what I can gather, it is likely that Kiyotaka was murdered this very morning…as in within an hour of our finding his body.”_ **

**_“We’re on a tropical island. Blood usually takes a little under an hour to dry under normal temperatures It shouldn’t have taken more than half an hour.”_ **

**_“Correct, meaning that circle must have been made a short time before we arrived.  In other words, everyone who made it to this morning’s breakfast is most likely exempt from suspicion for the mean time. That would include Ikusaba, naturally.” (Kyouko Kirigiri and Makoto Naegi, Chapter 4)_ **

“A terrible lie. The fact that you would even know of such a detail without proper investigation is incredibly suspicious…but this is one of the contradictions I mentioned. I do not see how it is possible for you to have the time to kill Kiyotaka and make it back to the restaurant in…”

“No need Kyouko, because the blood and the tidied room were both traps.” Makoto interrupted her.

The detective raised her head at this.

He smacked his forehead “It might have been the headaches I had recently but I can’t believe I forgot something Sayaka told me the evening before. We were assuming that the blood on the magic circle was Taka’s but it never needed to be because _there are more than just humans on this island_.”

**_Truth Bullet: “Hey, did you notice how the farm over there was empty?” (Sayaka Maizono, Chapter 2)_ **

"There are also animals on this island, Kyouko. Sayaka told me the farm had been quiet yesterday and it would be a simple matter of just getting blood from them instead of Taka. I’m willing to bet that’s also why Taka was decapitated. Leon wanted to give us the illusion of having confiscated massive amounts of blood from the body. When you look at it from this perspective, the timeframe completely disappears; _Taka could have been killed at any point from when we last saw him till this morning._ ”

Kyouko nodded and confirmed his hypothesis “Yes. In that case, the alarm and tidied room are of no consequence. It would have been easy for someone to enter that room and alter everything; I certainly could have. It’s also possible that Taka himself could have done it and been called out by any of us during the night. As the ultimate moral compass, Kiyotaka would never refuse a request from his classmates; including if it was to meet them somewhere in the middle of the night…He was far too trusting.”

“Wait a second.” Asahina chimed in “Makoto, how long did you and Leon talk to each other last night?”

Makoto had forgotten about that and right now, it kind of stung to remember. “It couldn’t have been that long. Maybe an hour or so but Leon should have gotten back…” Ah, he understood

**_Truth Bullet: You can admit it. I totally get that there’s something going on with you and Leon, no wonder you’re so dense when it comes to the girls.”_ **

**_“Suuuure, that’s why he spent soooo long in your room before he got back. No fooling me, mister.” (Aoi Asahina, Chapter 5)_ **

“I don’t know if he saw me but I saw him getting to his room waaaay late. It would have been way more than 1 or 2 hours after he went into Makoto’s room. I just thought he and Makoto were…you know but if not then, what was he doing for all that time?” Hina gasped

“What the hell did you think I would do with that half-pint? I'll have you know I’m strictly a ladies man…ow ow ow!” Kyouko’s hold tightened significantly.

“It would seem the pieces are falling into place. Including how you managed to fool us into thinking Celeste was ever in control of the situation.” She said, calmly.

“Seriously? You’re pinning _that_ on me too?”

“Why not? After all, our belief that Celeste was the one pulling the strings was almost **entirely** on account of taking your words at face value.” Makoto answered

**_Truth Bullet: “That wasn’t my fault. Celeste found me right after you guys left and listened in on the conversation. I didn’t think she could do any harm so I brought her with me.” (Leon Kuwata, Chapter 4)_ **

 “You never even gave evidence suggesting that what you said was true but we believed it _because Celeste was already gone_. Therefore, nobody was around to contest your claim and you even used Sayaka to act as your alibi. In all likelihood, you’re probably the one who manipulated Celeste into acting.” Kyouko added

“Fucking how? They’re the ones who started the fire.” Leon squirmed

“Oh? And who was it that told us that?” Kyouko smirked and tightened her grip.

**_Truth Bullet: “It wasn’t my fault okay; someone had to have messed with it earlier. I NEVER burn my food.”_ **

**_“Hina might be right about that. I remember Hifumi playing around in there while I was looking for Makoto.”  (Aoi Asahina and Leon Kuwata, Chapter 5)_ **

“For your information, we found Hifumi on our way over here and his last words were that he never went inside the kitchen. That was the main clue we used to figure you out.”

Asahina flinched when Kyouko mentioned the writer’s final statement.

“It was basically your word against his but I have proof that Hifumi was telling the truth. Sakura told me herself: Mondo had stopped in the middle of a chase because of the fire alarms which means he didn’t know about it and implies Celeste and Hifumi didn’t either otherwise they would have told him.” Makoto said.

“Don’t you think I’d just have told Celeste herself if she was working for me?”  
  
“Too risky. They may have had their flaws but they were neither heartless nor stupid. You had no idea of knowing whether those two would intentionally endanger everyone in the building just for someone else’s plot. It would also have ousted you as acting incredibly out of character. Celeste would have picked up on a plot _that_ Machiavellian instantly.  Who knows, she may well have suspected you to be the culprit for such cut-throat behavior.”

“Tch.” Leon let out.

**-[Climax Reasoning: Complete]-**

 

“The witch’s legend was merely a precept used to derail the investigation.” Kyouko finished.

“There are some parts I still don’t understand, but the evidence we have against you goes way past the point of coincidence. You dropped the ball when you just tried to kill me too. Just admit you’re the killer and let’s end this.” Makoto raised an accusatory finger

“I don’t understand. Why? Why would you do any of this?” Hina asked

“While I’m certainly interested in the motive, I feel there is a more important question that needs to be asked first.” Kyouko interjected "After getting all the evidence out in the open, I am all the more convinced of one single fact therefore I ask: Leon, who put you up to this?”

Makoto and Asahina jerked

“Huh? Didn’t we already decide he’s the mastermind.”

“Leon is undoubtedly among them but think about what you just said, Makoto. Reflect on the planning, attention to detail and predictive ability that would be required to set up a scheme of this magnitude. If our hypothesis is correct, our moves were read several steps in advance and the reason it failed is partly due to Leon’s own oversight to begin with. Do any of you really think that Leon is someone with that kind of skill?”

That…was a good point.

“Furthermore, there are also mysteries that have yet been solved…such as how exactly Leon killed Ikusaba and the others.”

_Someone who could have been the brains of the operation._

“Ryouko? Was she behind this?” Makoto asked. The amnesiac's name was the only one that came to mind in the case of impossibly accurate predictions, she had even explained in great detail how effective her power was...but could she really kill her own sister?

“That would be the most probably solution. I can think of none other with the capacity for such meticulous planning…but let’s hear the answer from the man himself. Well, is Ryouko your benefactor?” Kyouko demanded.

Leon replied with a chuckle

It was an action unbefitting his current position and that made Makoto worried. Kyouko must have felt the same, as she applied the greatest amount force yet to his arm. It wouldn’t have been surprising if his joints gave in right there.

This time, Leon didn’t scream

“Ease up, you’re killing me here.” He replied instead. “I gotta admit, that was some pretty cool detective work. You mostly got me all figured out.”

“H-He admitted it.” Hina curved her hand into a ball

“You murderer!”

“Yeah Yeah, I;m busted. I’d have to be a complete moron to deny that much evidence against me…but so what? Even if you know, you guys can’t do a damn thing _now_.” Leon smiled

He had a really bad feeling about the phrasing of that statement.

“What do you mean by that?” Kyouko frowned, still on top of him.

“You’re a smart girl. You figured out the plan but you’ve missed out on a few details. Like for example, how do you think I threatened Sayaka into helping me?” They couldn’t possibly know the answer to that and he did as well.

“Easy. I didn’t threaten to kill her or anything. Check my right pocket and you’ll see for yourself. I won’t move a muscle, promise.”

Kyouko switched positions and pushed her weight onto the athlete, slipping her arm into Leon’s jeans and pulling out a cell phone. The entire process lasted mere moments.

The detective didn’t look inside however, instead she tossed it towards Asahina and himself. Afterwards, she resumed her former position.

“I have no idea what’s on there. He may have something that could cause me to lower my grip therefore; it would be prudent for the both of you to look it instead.”

And so they did.  Naegi picked up the phone and Asahina leaned in from the side

He turned on the phone and saw a background picture of himself, Leon, Mondo and Hiro in Halloween costumes. The photo was months old.

Ordinarily, this would have seemed normal but now, it just felt like he was being mocked.

This couldn’t be what Leon wanted to show him so he scrolled until he found the pictures folder.

What he saw shook his core. Not just because of the contents specifically but the possible ramifications of how far this madness extended.

“Aren’t these Sayaka’s bandmates?” Hina asked

The girls had been bound to chairs by thick ropes. Their faces had been blindfolded but anyone who knew of their group would recognize them instantly. They even wore their idol uniforms.

His mind stirred.

“How?” Makoto questioned.

Kyouko looked at them puzzled while Leon laughed at their reactions

“Yup. All I had to do was show Sayaka that little photo and she was putty in my hands. I told her if she wanted to see them again and get off this island in one piece, she had to help me out. Of course, I also told her that there were others like me in the group in order to make her doubt you…All except the two of you.” Leon, smile grew wider and more malicious.

“The plan was to kill off just about everyone but I told her that if she behaved, I would keep you two alive and told her that you weren’t working with me. By doing that, Sayaka was relieved that her favorites were the ones who could be saved and could be counted on…buuuut.”

“That also meant that she would be more likely to distrust everyone else. Furthermore, by instigating Celeste, Sayaka was only given more reason to not rely on anyone except us.” Kyouko nearly snarled. The limits of her self-control had been pushed to the edge.

“You guys sure make explaining stuff easy. I feel like a Bond villain right about now.” He joked

He _joked_. Where was his confidence coming from?

“What an idiot. As if I was ever going to let the goddamn detective and her goddamn groupie walk out scot-free.”

“Leon…you didn’t answer my question. I didn’t ask what the picture was for. I asked _how_ you got it and _how_ did you kidnap them?” Makoto demanded.

In truth, while Makoto was concerned for the idols, an even bigger problem was that Leon…or whoever backed him had somehow gotten to people on the outside. **Wouldn’t that mean their families could be in danger?**

 **“** Calm the ahoge down, its probably standing up like crazy right now. I don’t know how those girls were caught and I didn’t hear anything about anyone else getting kidnapped either. If I did, you can bet your ass I’d have used it against you.” Leon snickered.

Could he believe that?

“You didn’t hear? In other words, you were told that by someone. Its about time you give us the answers we need, who is behind all this?” Kyouko hastily ordered the killer.

“Hey now, don’t rush a guy…you might miss something big and I was getting to that anyway. Say Kyouko, did you ever once think about how exactly it was Taka died?”

“He was decapitated” She stated the obvious

“You didn’t answer the question. Did you ever think about how exactly he died? And don’t get things twisted, I killed him personally.”

“What is he saying?” Hina asked, worried.

There was that bad feeling again.

_How did Taka die? Like Kyouko said, he was beheaded but what does th-…how again?_

Makoto remembered the headless corpse. It was such a shocking image that he vividly recalled the scene even now.  Contrasting the blood-stained pool, Naegi had seen that the head had been chopped **clean off.** So clean that had it not been for the outfit and the blood, he would have mistaken the corpse for a doll.

There was nothing in this resort that could do that. No swords or axes. The weapons in Nezumi castle were for decoration (weren’t they?)  Even if they weren’t, Leon has no experience with those weapons, and there’s no way anything like a knife or a cleaver could have made such a clean cut with his physique. Where it to have been Sakura, Ikusaba, Genocider or even Mondo, it could have been possible but Leon wasn’t anything like them.

…or was he? Why was he making assumptions? Why did he still act like he even knew this person? The Leon he thought he knew would never have done any of this.

**The person in front of  him was a complete stranger.**

As if her thoughts mirrored his, Kyouko’s eyes widened sharply and twisted the arm she had kept locked in place fully.

Whether it was because Kyouko had sensed the danger or Leon have moved somehow, he didn’t know. What he did hear was the sickening wrenching of bone.

Kyouko distanced herself a few meters forward of the grounded Leon, and stood somewhat ahead of Makoto and Asahina.

All the while, Leon didn’t let out so much as a scream. He just stood up, his right arm hanging limply on his side.

_Didn’t he feel that? It’s almost like...crap._

Leon’s eyes finally opened, his sclera were a light color and watery from the spray but Makoto knew he could see fine; there was no swelling either.

He raised his only working arm and grazed his irides with his fingers.

On the tips of his fingers now laid a pair of transparent contact lenses.

Makoto suppressed a shudder as his fears were realized. Leon was now looking at them with the same scarlet eyes as Mondo.

“Him too?” Asahina squeaked out.

“You break a guy’s arm and then look at him like he’s the devil or something, And Taka always said _I_ had bad manners.”

From their perspective, the situation had reversed completely but in reality, they had never tipped out of Leon’s favor. He was just messing around.

“I said it, didn’t I? You guys can’t do a thing anymore, now that the muscle heads are all dead and gone.”

“Muscleheads…are you talking about Sakura?” Asahina’s prior fear had given away to renewed anger at the insult.

Before she took as much as a step forward, Kyouko snapped at her from in front of the duo. “Asahina, don’t say another word.” The detective said, without turning around.

Hina appeared to get the concise message and restrained herself.

“That all? Too bad, I was hoping that’d rile you up a bit more, babe.” Leon goaded them.

“But back to what I was saying…do you guys even realize what kind of position you’re in? Ikusaba, Mondo, Sakura and Genocider. Any one of those four would have been a total pain to deal with…so I needed to get rid of them. There were a few kinks along the way, but I think we can say it turned out alright. They off’d each other with me barely having to lift a finger. Now, the rest of you will be easy to pick off. ”

“I see. You disposed of Togami and Kiyotaka first to pit Mondo against Genocider, incite the rest of us and pull Ikusaba and Sakura into the crossfire…is that what you’re trying to say?” Kyouko murmured.

Leon’s eyebrow twitched a bit at the mention of Togami’s name.

“Bingo, give the arm-breaker a prize.” He said and soon any sign of amusement gave way to monotony .

“But you know, you’re off on 2 crucial points.” He strolled over to pick up his fallen bat. The trio readied themselves. If it came to a fight…they may have a chance. Leon’s left hand was his weak hand, and he couldn’t have been that tough if he couldn’t break Kyouko’s grip.

“First, you’re assuming Ryouko was my partner-in-crime but you’ve got it the other way around. That bitch was the annoyance I had to avoid the whole time so I wouldn’t get caught in the act. I even suggested **we** kill her off first but **she** said things would be more interesting if we kept Ryouko around. I didn’t get it at the time but I’m starting to see it that way.”

“Who are you-“ Kyouko started but was quickly cut off

“Second, you said that the witch was just a smokescreen I made to throw you off my trail. I don’t think I agreed with that…but I doubt words can convince you at this point.”

He gripped the bat’s handle and raised it to the sky with his left hand.

“So let me show you instead.”.

There was at least a 10 meter distance separating them. What in the world did he think he could do from there?

“The gift I received from that witch.” He now wore a full-on slasher smile

“ _From Junko Enoshima_.”

The bat came down and all hell broke loose.

The swing had hurled an explosion of force towards them. The ground caved in and blocks of solid stone, along with the embedded scissor-blades, flew into the air as the blast came towards them.

He yelled Kyouko’s name. As the one standing in front, she was bound to take the full brunt of the blast if she didn’t move.

Fortunately, the detective reacted quickly and ready to dart to the side. Only she was closer to Leon than they were and therefore had less time to evade.

It was as if time had slowed down. He had to propel her out of the way.

That was when he noticed

Besides him, Asahina remained frozen in place, with a terrified expression.

  _In the case that I should meet my end, I entrust her to you, Naegi._ Makoto remembered the words Sakura had left him with.

There was no time to make a choice so his body moved instinctively and pushed Asahina to the side with all the strength he could muster.

After that, all he could see was white.

\---

The aftermath was as if a concentrated bomb had gone off in the immediate vicinity - and in the shape of a cone of destruction that spread out from where Leon stood.

As for himself…he had been blown off into the air by the shockwave and carried away before the full blast had engulfed him completely. As a result, landed on the hard concrete and rolled onto his stomach. He felt pain…immeasurable pain. He had never hurt this badly in his life

However, that was also evidence that he was currently alive.

It was a miracle…did he owe it to luck?

His clothes were shredded to the point he could feel bare skin of his arm and stomach on the smoldering concrete. His ears rang. His legs felt impossible heavy. Only one of his arms twitched when he moved them. An eye was shot and the other had dirt in them. His forehead was bleeding profusely…it was pretty bad.

He probably couldn’t run away from this.

_What about ..the…others…_

It took significant effort just for him to lift his head from a position.

“K-Kyoko…Hina” The words barely came out

The smoke cleared quickly and within his narrow line of vision, he could make out the swimmer lying on her back. Her chest heaved so he knew she was alive. He couldn’t reach her or ascertain her condition…but for now, she was alive.

The other girl however, couldn’t be seen from this angle. He tried moving his neck to see behind him on his left side but it was no good. It felt like it would snap if he tried to force himself.  Thus he was instead forced to place all his weight on the arm that still worked and pushed off the ground to turn around.

It was an undeniably clumsy maneuver but he was left no other recourse in desperation.

He did so 3 times. Each movement more difficult than the last until he had moved 40 degrees to the left from where he began.

He saw Kyouko there. She hadn’t been too far away from Asahina but the sight in his left eye had become somewhat blurry.

He noticed immediately however, that the detective wasn’t moving. She was lying on her back just like Asahina. Her arms rested on both sides and formerly gloved hands were now shredded, much like his own attire. Makoto could see burn scars on her hands, even worse than the rest of her body.

What worried him most however, was a thin sliver of blood cascading from her narrowly-opened mouth

_Kyouko…_

He tried to motion his left arm to reach out to her but to no avail. That was when his working eye landed on a familiar object resting conspicuously between him and Kyouko.  Like the detective, it was burned but the cloth that covered it was intimately familiar enough for him to recognize even in that state. After all, he wore it every day.

“O-Oh…t-that’s why…I..ca..nt…feel….its not…attached…anymore….heh..he”

He wanted to laugh and ended up vomiting blood instead. Internal bleeding apparently made its way onto the list.

_Am I...going to die?_

He pushed on his remaining arm and crawled his way, ever so slowly, towards the detective.

Minutes of tedious crawling had felt like hours to the luckster. Now there was a mere 3 meters separating him from his goal.

He could almost reach her…had it not been for a pair of sneakers stepping in his way.

“Yo, Makoto. You’ve seen better days…need a hand?”

The obnoxious voice called to him. He tried raising his head to glare at the figure but he couldn’t even make it past the knees before his neck felt like it shatter from the strain so he dropped back to the floor.

“Man, seriously how lucky are you? You took my **[Grand Slam]** head on and you’re not just kicking but _moving_ too. Unreal” Leon crouched over him

There was only one thing Makoto wanted from him now. An explanation

“Why…did...was…any…it…real?” Makoto asked, able to meet the eyes of the now crouched Leon

“Aaaw come on. Give me that look and I feel like I'm about to put down my dog.”

Naegi didn’t respond.

“Silent treatment huh? I deserve that. To answer your question…of course it was real. All of it was.” He said solemnly. It was a tone that didn’t match any of his actions the past few days.

Anger gave way to confusion, and confusion was replaced by more anger.

Simply put, the man spoke nonsense. Leon would mock him with that…after everything he just did?

He wanted to scream for the truth but the words were drowned out by coughed blood. He was certain, he had blacked out for an instant.

“Guess you don’t believe me? That’s fair but it’s the truth you know… talent isn't everything in this world. Sure, those who got it are secured for life, like Hope’s Peak says...but the effort…its just not my style. That’s why I’ve taken shortcuts my whole life and when I succeed, I end up forgetting what was important to begin with…like Kanon.”

He paused

“But you guys weren’t like that. I didn’t need an easy way out because I enjoyed all of it I tossed away that stupid fantasy of becoming a musician and dedicated myself to baseball. It was because of you that I learned to like it, and my talent for what it was and not what it got me. If I had to choose between the opportunity of a lifetime or slugging it out with all of you, I’d pick this class  every time.

And that's why I did all of this. My buddies that I liked so much. The shiny future that I worked so hard for. **I wanted to feel the despair of throwing it all away** _ **.**_ The despair that Junko promised!” He cackled madly. “Man, if old man Nekomaru could see me now, what would he say!?”

Makoto had stopped listening. Incomprehensible words weren’t what he wanted to hear in his what was likely his final moments.

“Ha…Well, I guess I should wrap things up…since I’m pretty much done, I might as well let you in on a secret.” He stood up and took a practice swing

“Truth is, **I didn’t actually kill Togami**.”

_…What?_

“I was going to but I found him in the library _already dead_ and I have no idea how. All I did was take his body and chuck it in Nezumi castle for Syo to flip out over last night. Man, that was hilarious” He laughed

“It wasn't just him either. Mukuro and from the sounds of it, Chihiro and Kizakura are probably dead too...someone’s been a total kill-stealer. _These weren’t part of Junko’s instructions._   Guess my work isn’t quite over yet if there’s something other than me still alive on this island. Speaking of which, I’ll be sure to send Ryouko and Sayaka right off with you so you won’t miss each other in heaven.”

He now raised his bat into the air once more.

 Naegi craned his neck upwards. If it was the last thing he was going to see, he might as well get it over with and screw the pain.

What he saw was Leon…crying.

“What I talked to you about the other day, the fun afternoon and everything before it. All of those meant something. Even if I had to kill you, I at least wanted you to have that one day to enjoy yourself as much as you could.” Leon smiled. It was a gentler smile than any he had ever seen from baseball star.

“Later, kid.”

He swung down and Makoto expected the end

What he didn’t see coming was a large knife nearly chopping Leon’s head off.

“What the-“

The baseball star had barely managed to dodge the blow coming from in front of him

He jumped several meters back in the air, jumping over Kyouko’s body as well. Leon's grip still remained on the handle of the bat as he brushed his neck with the back of his palm. It was there he felt a thin cut and blood slowly pouring out. Had the knife gone any deeper, he would be dead.

Makoto took notice of the feminine figure of the attacker

“S-Sayaka?” He mouthed

She looked down at Kyouko’s fallen form and then gazed back at him, **red eyes** filled with sadness and regret.

“H-How the hell did you get in front of me like _that_? I didn’t even see you.” Leon yelled with his former composure absent.

Sayaka didn’t respond. She simply brandished her knife at him

“Heh, I get it. **You’ve fallen to despair too** …though it doesn’t look quite like mine and more like Mondo’s.” Leon said.

“Ah well, I’ll just take care of all you with one shot.” Leon raised the bat for the 3rd time.

Makoto knew what was coming. He tried to warn Sayaka but found he was no longer capable of speaking.

“Any last words, bitch?” Leon sneered.

And Sayaka smirked

“Try turning around, idiot.”

Leon’s eyes widened for a moment and then snickered.

“You really think I’ll fall for the oldest trick in the-“

Leon was interrupted by what he felt was a surge of raw killing intent from behind and turned around

“You’ve got to be shitting me. You’re still alive!?” Leon said incredulously.

A bloodied Mondo now stood in his vision, peering at him with eyes set to kill. Evidently, he had heard every word and knew he had found his kyoudai’s murderer.

Mondo poured every last bit of energy in his fist and aimed for Leon’s chest.

Leon used his metal bat, the only weapon in his possession, to defend against the blow by placing it in front of his chest.

Fist met Iron.

“Die, you fuckin’ prick!” Mondo yelled with the last of his strength and as if the situation responded to his accord, the bat literally shattered and left Leon defenseless.

With no further resistance, Mondo’s continuing fist slammed against Leon’s chest and broke his ribcage. Leon vomited blood at the point of impact and was then sent flying backwards into the air at great speeds.

Mondo stared as the culprit landed and remained for several seconds.

The gang-leader too then fell to the ground, never to awaken.

“Damn, I messed up.” Leon breathed, coughing out even more blood. The blow had paralyzed every inch of his body. 

“My… **[Grand Slam]** is the only power I got and something I can only use when I’ve decided to throw everything away. A grand slam scores the most points and only happens when your teammates are on the field backing you up...so it’s only natural my Despair would represent the anti-thesis…but, I forgot that you had one too. Junko told me… I remember now. Tossing aside your principles....the rules that defined you…in order to become strong…anything that wounds you just makes you stronger, but you don’t heal from them. She told me…that was your Despair, your **[Outlaw]** ” Leon explained. Whether he was delusional enough to believe the biker could still hear his words or he was simply talking to himself was not known.

He lamented his callousness and looked to the side.

“So…what’s your Despair?” He said slyly to Sayaka, who stood over his defenseless state.

Sayaka tilted her head in response.  
  
“Heh…you don’t even know, do you? Fuck…this bites…I…don’t wanna die like this…Kanon.” He cried.

Sayaka smiled. It was the perfect smile only the ultimate idol possessed…and so Leon knew he had met his end.

“Leon…just how stupid are you?”

It was a rhetorical question for Sayaka stabbed Leon in the heart without waiting for the answer...she did so repeatedly.

After over a dozen stabs to the boy’s body, Sayaka picked herself up and walked away, not even sparing another glance at the corpse.

She gazed elsewhere in the vicinity. Sakura, Celeste, Hiro, Mondo...Kyouko.

Tears streaked down her face as she made her way to the last person left alive. The last of some of the only real friends she ever had.

Makoto had merely watched the ordeal passively…there was nothing else he could do.

He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. All he could do was watch with no control over his environment, like he had experienced these events through a painfully low-quality TV screen.

Sayaka gently picked him up over her shoulder.

She didn’t take him far…just a mere 3 meters over to rest by the side of the departed detective.

Makoto moved his head to the right and stared intently at Kyouko. The lilac-haired girl’s normally tied braid had been undone and she almost seemed asleep…if it wasn’t for the streak of blood running down her lips.

It bothered him but he couldn’t move his arm to take care of it.

A moment later, Sayaka’s arm reached over to Kyouko’s face and wiped it off gently with her fingers. .

Makoto looked over to see Sayaka smiling over them. This one was undoubtedly genuine but that made it all the more painful. Had it not been for her eyes and the blood, she would have appeared as she did on any other day.

Even without words, she had managed to read his thoughts.

_Psychic huh? Then…_

Makoto inaudibly mouthed Asahina’s name and prayed Sayaka would get the message

The blue-haired girl nodded and stood up, moving towards Asahina’s direction.

 _Thank you._ He thought

He returned his focus to the girl besides him. The girl who didn’t stir.

Not only because he had been the one who made her go through such a dangerous ordeal but his fault goes back even further. Naegi remembered Ryouko’s words and now he knew what she meant. Maybe Kyouko could have figured Leon out if she had been like she was before and all of this could have been avoided…at the very least, she wouldn’t have been caught up in his recklessness. And even then,  he might have been able to save her but he chose to protect another instead.

In the end…hadn’t he been the one who killed her? In that case, Ryouko had won their bet after all.

_Kyouko…I’m sorry_

Makoto cried. It appeared there were still some tears left after all.

…He was getting tired. Some sleep would be nice 

Sayaka returned  and laid down next to him

He looked to her for confirmation on Asahina’s condition. Sayaka nodded happily

_That’s…good. Even if I didn’t formally accept Sakura’s request…I still wanted…to keep it._

He closed his eyes for a bit and found he’d almost fallen asleep.

Sayaka. It really showed how well they knew each other, even without having a conversation. It was like she could read his thoughts. Of course, he had no way of knowing if Sayaka was telling the truth or she wanted to spare his feelings before he…it was scary to think about.

He wanted to believe. Even though it failed him so many times, he wanted to think of the positives at the very end. After all, his optimism is what defines him as Makoto Naegi.

Still, he wondered what Sayaka would do now. He would be lying if he said the abrupt change in eye color didn’t bother him. Would she end up like Leon and Mondo? He didn’t know but he wished that would never be the case.

He felt a warm hand cup his face. Sayaka gave him a knowing look as she did so.

_I see…then I don’t have to worry too much._

The average boy smeared in his own blood showed a forlorn yet peaceful smile.

The idol draped in the blood of others gave the greatest performance of her life.

_Let’s meet again somewhere, Makoto._

_Yeah, I’ll be waiting._

 

\---

_Hey...can you hear me?_

Makoto Naegi stirred as he heard a melodious voice call out to him.

He woke up drowsily, as if coming out of a deep sleep.  A cold sweat on his features as his head rested on top of a hard wooden desk in the middle of the room. His body felt heavy.

_Where am I?_

He gazed at the front and found himself in a familiar looking classroom.

_This is Hope’s Peak, isn’t it? What am I doing in class?_

He wiped the drool from his mouth using his left hand…why did he feel so relieved doing that? He couldn’t remember.

_What was that voice I heard?_

 He turned to the left and found a pair cobalt eyes staring at him intensely. The owner was sitting on a desk on the far side of the room

In a late response, he yelped as he jumped out of his seat.

_Was she watching me this whole time?_

The girl placed her hand under her chin and looked amused by his reaction.

He took in her appearance. Black, white and red garments. Mini-skirt. Combat-boots. Strawberry blonde hair. Twin-tails and bear clippings. She was really pretty…curvy too.

The trendy type...was someone so peculiar always in the school? The description sounded familiar at least but what was she doing here...heck, what was he doing here?

_Did I fall asleep in class or something? Pretty mean of everyone to just leave me there, if so._

_"Are you okay? You seem pretty out of it."_ She said

"Oh, uh sorry. I'm just trying to remember what I'm doing here." He replied.

The girl's eyes widened a bit and then narrowed again. She hopped off the table and made her way towards him.

He scuffled awkwardly until she was within arm's reach. The girl placed cupped his forehead.

 _Huh?_ Standing this close, Makoto could see that the girl was considerably taller than he was...then again, most people were.

 _"_ You were shifting in your sleep and sweating like crazy when you woke up so I was wondering if you had a fever or something. Doesn't seem too bad though, were you having nightmares then?"

Did he have a  nightmare? He couldn't remember.

"Maybe...but it probably hadn't been a good dream at least." It was kind of embarrassing admitting that to someone he just met.

"Hmm, s'that so? Well, as long as it isn't something _too_ serious, we should probably get going." She stepped away from him and walked towards the exit.

He agreed...what time was it anyway? He couldn't tell because the hand on the clock was frozen...and his own watch appeared to have stopped as well. To most people, this would have been indicative of some suspicious circumstances...but this was just Tuesday for someone as unlucky as Makoto Naegi.

Makoto went after the girl and found the outside halls empty.

"Looks like nobody's home." She said.

HPA wasn’t a particularly crowded school. As the home to the elites of the elites (and himself), they strongly prioritized quality over quantity but for nobody to be roaming through the halls was somewhat jarring.

They walked around for several minutes and found nothing, even the gymnasium had been empty. The girl besides him had taken to humming and whistling the amuse herself. She didn't seem awkward around him at all given they were strangers. If anything, she was maintaining an oddly close proximity, to the point where their shoulders almost touched...not that he minded.

"Uh hey, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto Naegi by the way." He introduced himself.

She stared blankly at him for a moment and then giggled.

There it was again, was there something funny about him? W-Was there something on his face or did something get caught  in his unruly hair again? 

He instinctively checked his hair and found nothing.

"I'm..." She began and stopped prematurely, facing front.

Makoto raised an eyebrow and followed

Before them stood a metallic gate; like the kinds you saw on TV guarding some stacked vault.

_...Strange. Isn't this where the front entrance to the school is supposed to be?_

He moved towards the gate and heard a whirring sound. Tracing the noise to the origin, he saw what appeared to be a machine-gun turret aimed towards him

_Wha? This is Hope’s Peak, isn’t it?_

He stepped back in fear of what would happen if he came any closer to the gate. This had gone too far for a prank.

"H- Hey. What the heck is _that_ doing here?" He said to the girl. He didn't receive a response.

He stared blankly at where she used to be standing and saw nothing. He turned around and found she had disappeared.

Now, he was starting to panic. 

He sprinted back to the direction they came from, yelling for anyone to signify their presence.

He was really starting to regret not asking the girl her name sooner.

_Maybe she got out through the windows_

Trying to find an alternate route for the exit, he discovered what should have been an obvious discrepancy between the HPA before and now; all the windows had been bolted shut.

He ran all over the first floor and stopped in front of fairly large red doors he had never seen before.

He pushed them open and marveled at the view.

Makoto walked into an enormous Cineplex, several times the size  of the gymnasium, which he had believed to be the largest space in the school.

He stepped to the back of the theater to get a good view of the place and noticed one of the first seats in the back row had a sign that said “Reserved for Makoto Naegi.”

His eyebrows rose at that. Having little clue of what was occurring, he had no choice but to sit.

As he did, the screen began counting down from 16.

_What an odd number_

After  16 seconds of waiting, the blank screen changed to a viewing…of his class. It looked like a recording…no it had to be one because he was in the video.  Sayaka, Leon, Taka, Mondo and Kyouko were huddled over around his desk, chatting amiably.

Funny, he didn’t really remember something like this specifically but it was just as possible that he forgot. It seemed a mundane enough occurrence.

So why did this image hurt so much?

A sudden migraine erupted. He raised a hand to his forehead, reeling from the pain.

The pain relented somewhat.  He didn’t understand what he was doing here. Was he still dreaming?

He sighed

"Still out of sorts, huh?" A voice came from besides him.

Makoto turned his head sharply in the direction of the sound. It was the girl again, had she been sitting next to him the whole time?

Why hadn't he noticed?...And where did she come from? He was sitting in the back row.

He looked over the new presence to see if there was some other exit but found none.

“Get it in gear kiddo, my face is over here.” She smirked and leaned in closer

He blushed. _Too close._

Next, one of her arms snaked around the back of his head and brought him into a kiss.

Makoto’s eyes widened at the sudden action and even moreso when she bit down on his lips and drew blood.

He pushed her away and stood up from his seat.

“Wh-What are you doing?” His voice muffled when he tried wiping off the blood on his lips with his hoodie.

The girl licked her lips then proceeded to point at him and laugh.

Makoto realized this person was a more eccentric that he initially believed and backed away from the seated row.

“Who are you?” He asked, struggling to act intimidating.

“Eeeeh? What’s with that reaction? And after what you did to me the last time.” She played coy and spoke in innuendos.

“The last time? Didn't we just meet a few minutes ago?” He argued.

“Hmmm, really? I don’t pay much attention to minor details, that’s always been your thing, Makoto.”

She spoke his name so familiarly and wasn’t even worried despite being in the same situation as he was…unless

“Do you know what’s going on here?” Makoto asked.

“Interesting, you caught on faster than I thought you would.” She  gave a thoughtful expression

If he didn’t know it before, he knew it now; this person was dangerous.

“Answer me. Who are you? And where the hell am I!?”

The girl puffed her cheeks “Who are you this. Answer me that. You sure do throw out a lot of questions for such a little guy, but what the hell? Your reaction might be worth the effort, upupupu.” A strange laugh.

“Who I am, is none other than Junko Enoshima and as for where you are…”  ‘Junko’  trailed off and started rocking back and forth with laughter, perhaps there really was an inside joke. He certainly didn’t find anything funny about this situation.

She stood up as he did and approached him 

He stepped back hastily and clumsily fell onto his backside

Junko…That name sounds familiar.

_“The gift I received from that witch.”_

 He broke into a cold sweat. W-What was that memory?

“Putting it in a way you can understand...” She leaned over him and gripped his hands with her own, holding him in place. Makoto screamed as excessively sharp nails punctured deep into his hands and made him bleed.

He was trapped. Not simply by force but in fear of  that predatory gaze; he feared he'd be ripped apart if he resisted. 

 _“From Junko Enoshima_.”

“ **…well you’re obviously dead, silly**.”

And the memories came flooding back.

 

**CHAPTER 1: DESPAIR AT FIRST SIGHT**

**SURVIVORS: 2**

**BAD END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of the first arc. It took a lot longer than I thought it would so I shoved in 2 chapters worth in the final run. 
> 
> So how was the mystery? In spite of the finer details, I wanted to make the culprit and main actor similar to the first trial in DR1 - might not always be that way though. Something else I tried to convey was exactly how dangerous it is to take a character's sole word at face value regardless of who they are or how persuasive they might seem. If someone can't back it up, you should probably be skeptical.
> 
> Bonus points for anyone who guesses where Naegi and Junko are.


	7. Interlude I: Junko Enoshima

_“So this is a miracle you won for yourselves, isn’t it?” A pink-haired girl held a stuffed rabbit tight to her chest._

_“A miracle, huh?”  A boy with heterochromia replied. He took solace in the gentle sound of the ocean waves beneath the moving ship. “This isn’t a bad ending, is it?”_

_“Of course not! It’s what I lived, fought and spent my life for. Now let’s go. We’re all going to make our future together!” Her words were filled with blinding hope and optimism yet he couldn’t stop smiling sadly at the bittersweet meaning behind them. She spoke of togetherness but that was…_

_“Hajime. If you don’t hurry, the food will be all gone.” A raspy voice called out to him…only him._

_“Yeah, I’m coming.” Hajime responded and joined his classmates. The girl beside him turned ephemeral and soon faded to nothing._

_He was tired of lamenting weakness. The despair of the past was over, now they all had a future filled with hope._

\---

A large screen played the events as they transpired.  Sitting in the middle of the cinema, Chisa Yukizome watched the scene with a great degree of pride for her students. All of them had lost their way but they managed to recover onto the right path while “she” had failed. That was fine though, for what could make a teacher happier than watching their students surpass them?

She shook her head. What she regretted was the scene unfolding in front of her. The love of her life had chosen to devote himself to carrying the burden of her own mistakes. Knowing the type of person Kyousuke was, Chisa knew he would never truly forgive himself. How she wished to apologize, to tell him it wasn’t his fault. Unfortunately, that was impossible.  **After all, the Chisa Yukizome of that world was already dead.**

She could only trust in Kyousuke to find happiness in his own way. He had never betrayed her expectations before and he certainly wouldn’t start now. Not after Naegi had saved him.

Not after hope had finally won over the despair in the final killing game.

A fact she wished to confirm with the  _other individual_ present. “I told you, didn’t I? True hope will never lose.” She said. During her short period as a teacher, she had always believed that even the worst students or rotten oranges as she called them, could be saved with proper guidance. The tragedy had proven her wrong.  _This_  person was utterly hopeless.

Chisa had expected a response in the form of ridicule, disgust or an outright dismissal of their victory. What she hadn’t seen coming was silence.

Junko Enoshima’s attention was glued to the screen, as if not registering the teacher’s proclamation. Her expression was one Yukizome was unable to make out. Chisa had thought she had seen all the faces of the ultimate despair. Crass, Childish, Intellectual, Depressed, Coy, Pretentious and Empty.  What the initial six had in common was an intent at mockery…all of them were far from genuine but the last Chisa believed to be Junko Enoshima’s true nature; an emotionless husk who saw all others as sub-life forms. A monster little different from the Izuru Kamukura she had first met.

So what was this? The expression the fashionista currently wore looked to be a mixture of resignation, amazement and…longing. Like a person at the end of their long life had suddenly been reunited with an object defining their youth.

As if snapping out of a trance, Junko’s eyes widened and her expression was replaced with a Cheshire grin.

“Chisa. Honey. You say something?” The blond faced her. From her position, an odd-looking tome could be seen on her lap beneath a bowl of popcorn.

“You lost.” Yukizome’s momentary interest had faded to the back of her mind she addressed the fashionista despondently. Just sitting next to the despair made her skin crawl

“Lose?  _Us_? We haven't the slightest idea of what you mean, harlot! What we just witnessed wasn’t Hope vs Despair. It was Hope vs Crazier Hope that just  _looks_  like despair.” A crown somehow found its away onto Enoshima's head.

“Regardless, your influence over that world is gone. I don’t see what more you can do so why not just fade away somewhere and never be heard from again?” Chisa smiled innocuously. Passive-aggression was probably the limit of civility she could show this demon and even  _that_  was solely because Chisa was in the same boat for helping in bringing about the tragedy, willfully or no.

“Whoa! Don’t just ambiguously tell someone to die; it could actually happen ya know!?” Junko’s mood turned depressive “Ah wait that was a joke. Since we’re already dead and all.”

“Indeed, so why am  _I_  here when I should be dead as well? Or did your parents never even teach you to let the dead rest in peace?” She cocked an eyebrow

“Uwaah, what’s with this sassy teacher? I brought you here out of the  _goodness_ of my heart you know.” Junko faked cuteness

“This way you’d get to see how things turned out after you died. Wouldn’t it have sucked if you just bit it and never knew whether Muna-hottie would go batshit? Like your favorite show being in its last season and some douchebag pops you before the final episode.”

She felt a headache coming on “Then you failed spectacularly. Despite certain losses, it had the opposite effect on me.” Her thoughts were of her friend and newly discovered rival, Juzo.

“Yes…that didn’t develop as I predicted.” Enoshima’s gaze returned to the screen.

Chisa did the same and noticed the remainder of class 78 (besides Fukawa) together. All five of them. Apparently Kyouko Kirigiri had survived a close dealing with death. A genuine smile crept onto Chisa’s lips.  Not simply because the detective was alive nor due to the happy expressions on the faces of her friends but knowing that her former colleague’s sacrifice had truly been worthwhile. Chisa had always thought of Koichi as a slacker, both as a teacher and a director at the future foundation but his actions in the killing game had changed all that. She was glad to have had such a courageous person as a senior.

“Aight, enough of  _this_  shit!” Punk Junko snapped her fingers and the screen paused. The lights in the overly spacious Cineplex had also illuminated.

“That’ll be all for now, Tits. I’ll be sure to call again when I need ya!” She slapped Chisa on the back repeatedly.

The former ultimate housekeeper stood up from her seat. With her back turned she asked “Junko…where are we and why did you  _really_  bring me here?”

“Hm? You mean this dusty old place?” Even with her back turned, Chisa knew the blond was wearing a condescending grin. Of course, the chance of receiving a direct answer to even the simplest question was slim. Nothing was ever simple with her.

“As far as you’re concerned, you can call it purgatory…or maybe its heaven.”  Laughter ensued from both women. It was the sort of morbid joke that one couldn’t help but marvel in sheer incredulity. Neither of them would ever be allowed to set one foot in such a utopia. No, if they were destined for anywhere in the after-life, it was obviously hell. Is that where she was?

“It doesn’t really matter in the end, you know. What’s interesting here is that we have both ascended the realm of the living. In which case don’t you think where isn’t nearly as relevant as  _what we are?”_

She begrudgingly nodded. Unfortunately, it was a good point and she had an equally good idea of where Junko was going with her logic. After transcending the bonds of flesh and looking down at humans from above. There were only two words describing such an existence, from a human’s perspective. Therefore the question shouldn’t have been of heaven or hell but whether they were of the divine or the demonic. Unrest grew within the housekeeper.

“You…Have you really given up?” Chisa inquired. This time, she turned to face Junko.

 “Who knows?” Junko didn’t say another word beyond that ambiguous statement and clutched the book to her chest.

 _Typical_ , Chisa thought

There was nothing she could do any further, so she left. At the exit, Yukizome opened two enormous doors separating the theater from  _that place._ As she walked out, she took in the familiar scenery. How this place could be here was beyond her ability to comprehend but the nostalgia was undeniable.

Naturally, as the halls of Hope's Peak were like a second home to her.

 ---

The pest had finally left. Hmm, pest might be pushing it a bit. Another presence was welcome in this deserted space and Chisa was intelligent enough for them to hold a decent conversation…her looks weren’t bad either. Chisa was  _stacked_ , just how much silicone did that broad force into those things!? Well not like she was one to talk. Even more impressive however, was how she could maintain such composure. Most people wouldn’t be able to hold back from losing their shit to idiotic emotions after being within 3 ft of the person responsible for ruining their lives.

Yes, she had made a good choice of selecting the housekeeper as one of her useful members of Ultimate Despair and for bringing her  _here_. Chisa had been able to maintain contact with the despair faction even as a sleeper agent in the future foundation and was the mastermind behind the final killing game. That was worthy of praise, moreso than some of those useless ass-hat students of hers.

Oh dear, she shouldn’t think of poor Komaeda like that, he  _was_  her upperclassmen. Nevertheless, It wasn’t like the older woman could resist her  **[Authority]**  anyway. 

She remembered the words Yukizome had spoken and Junko’s response was genuine. The events of the final killing game surpassed her wildest expectation. All members of the future foundation but  Mitarai were supposed to have died in the initial killing game and he would then have committed suicide after witnessing firsthand what a hopeless world he had created. Nobody would mourn that retard of course. People who can’t feel despair also don’t know what it means to be sad. Even a child could understand that. The despair he felt in his final moments would have been orgasmic and yet,  _this_  was the end result?

At some point the screen had continued playing.

**Impossible…**

Even Kiri- _fucking_ -giri had lived! Yukizome had made a perfect set-up.  The detective would be too caught up in her failures during their entrapment at Hope’s peak and would most definitely sacrifice herself. This would throw Makoto into despair and-or have him killed at the hands of Munakata. Of course, Junko had also anticipated he would succeed and fill the vice-chairman with hope (blergh!)

He always managed to beat the odds like that but for bacon-hands to survive too? Ridiculous, the probability of Mikan arriving at her location in time and finding her was astronomically low. To begin with, the remnants shouldn’t have even been there.  This was a battle of hope…with that cute brat Monaca on the side.

Certainly.  _Certainly_ Izuru Kamukura was a man whose talents far surpassed even her own. Give him a few weeks and he alone could have reversed The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History. However, there was an insurmountable gap between capability and will. She had indoctrinated Kamukura and took away his will to act in a way detrimental to her own plans, whether he knew it or not.  All the man could do was satiate his interests, she merely helped guide the way to despair and he followed her without question. Even implanting the A.I of that worthless Chiaki Nanami was well within acceptable deviant parameters and that alone would not have any true impact on her own A.I’s agenda.

 The problem was Naegi. He unleashed the will that she had kept suppressed in the original Ultimate Hope and her plans were shot from there; afterwards, it was evidently a simple task of reviving the other remnants. That snow-ball effect spiraled into an avalanche of good fortune for them and the worst of the final killing game was avoided.  

  **How did he do it?**

The ultimate despair stared down at the floor.  The popcorn on her slap spilled and the book she had been holding with care fell with it.  Junko clutched at her temples with both hands, nearly causing her head to bleed as her long nails dug into the skin.

A goddamn manlet whose specs were so low that she had paid him no  _real_  attention during their time as classmates. All he ever did was prattle on about friendship and perseverance like some shounen protagonist while the whole bloody game was seinen material at minimum! How could they just get over all the suffering? What about all the death!? Ohohoho and let me tell you, there was a LOT of dying!

**She didn’t understand…**

He had defeated Despair and triumphed over false hope. He had won and she lost. Junko Enoshima had  _lost_. It was a word she had never even considered before the killing school life but here she sat,  _a three-time loser_ , and to the same person.

 **She** _**couldn’t** _ **understand…**

As the Ultimate Analyst, she was supposed to know everything. Her predictions would always be accurate unless they were pit against someone with comparable or greater talent…but this was merely random luck. Even Komaeda would be a more respectable individual for despite his protests of inferiority to the Ultimates, he retained a higher degree of competence than the lot of them. Before The Tragedy, none had come as close as he in unraveling her plans and almost did in a few moments what Kirigiri couldn’t in  _months._ In addition, he mastered his luck in a way that offset extreme amounts of fortune and misfortune. Naegi had neither Komaeda’s intellect nor skill so why did she lose to  _him_  instead?

**What was it about him? He was unpredictable. He was…**

It could that his successes were in part her own fault. Whenever she orchestrated a plan, she did so with a minute probability of failure. Doing so was symbolic of despair, the characterization that defined Junko Enoshima. A plan with no probability of defeat, for the express purpose of defeating one person would be tantamount to denying herself and  ~~worse~~ ,  _acknowledging him._ That in itself meant defeat.

A warm liquid slid through her fingers. Evidently she  _had_  dug deep enough to cause bleeding and soon a thick stream of blood trickled down her forehead and slid off her chin in droplets.

 Junko Enoshima returned her gaze to the screen and froze at what she saw. At some point, Fukawa and the little Naegi sibling had joined the five. They were now locked in a group embrace with Makoto and Kirigriri in the center. Even the normally reserved Togami had joined in on the display of affection and relief.

At that moment, Junko felt a surge of emotion flowing through her. She couldn’t pin down what it was nor could she pry her eyes away.

What she felt wasn’t despair. That was an emotion she had grown accustomed to for longer than she could remember…then there was something else that came close to despair? Whatever this feeling might have been, it was…

 

 _**~~He~~ **__**It was Interesting** _ **.**

For Junko, the word interesting was on a different scale of extremity than for an ordinary person. She was someone who had experienced everything the world had to offer and grew bored of it. It was like comparing the thirst of a marathon runner to someone who had been stranded in the desert for days without water. All she had was despair so for an emotion to rival it was nothing short of miraculous. A miracle that she wasn’t about to let slip away.

She ignored the blood covering her face and stared at Naegi’s now lone figure. He stood there smiling. Not at her of course but at the beautiful sight of the sun setting over the ocean. 

Junko watched him with renewed vigor.

She couldn’t let it end this way.  She wanted another chance to get back at him but she also recalled the most important words Chisa uttered. All physical trace and influence Junko had over that world really  _was_  at its end therefore she could never go back there in any form.

However that didn’t mean there weren’t other ways. She had the means to achieve her goal…along with the instructions on how to use them. Her eyes momentarily darted to the book on the floor and then back to the screen.

Aquamarine eyes burned with crazed passion. She stretched out her arm as if it could reach the screen, much less the figure it projected.

 “If I can’t come to you then I’ll just have you come to me!”

Schemes were already circulating in her head, it was possible for her to make this work...but she would need a test before the real thing. Something that could suffice as an experimental run...

An idea clicked almost immediately. Junko remembered the day The Tragedy began, where she looked down on reserve whelps falling to their deaths. The last time she ever saw Mr.Tall-Dark-And-Handsome, Izuru Kamukura.

They may have never got to meet again but she was the type of person to keep her promises....whenever she felt like it anyway.

"I said it, didn't I? I will always have a use for you, I-z-u-r-u...or should I call you Hajime Hinata now? Upupupu!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Bad day to be an egg.


	8. [Ultimate Despair]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder that this is a very setup heavy chapter that will have major implications for the ones down the line. Feel free to ask for clarification if necessary.

_The world, you see, is full of 'If's._

_Without the If of Eve being joined with Adam, society as we know it would never have existed. This world in which you live is only one of countless Ifs, constantly being propelled forward like a pool of mud by these possibilities. Miso soup no naka de, if you will._

_What follows is an Iffy world where Ifs If Ifs. An uncertain Klein bottle where the surface and the inside are one and the same. ...Oh, don't break it, now. None of you bastards could afford to pay for it._

_Ahem. Anyway, this is a world of Ifs. You could speculate and guess and make conjectures all you like, but only the future is a flexible pool of mud. The past is more solid than a -40 degree banana. The past can't be changed, and looking into 'A World That Could Have Been' won't save anyone in the real world._

_After all, an If is only an If. And even if there was a sickening parallel world where that particular If became real, humans can't cross those lines so easily. In this case, all Ifs are Divergence Ifs.  - Danganronpa IF_

  ---

Junko Enoshima.

It was a name he had only heard of recently but it sent chills to his very core; the origin of the worst experience of his life.

_Life? What life!?  I-I died didn’t I!?_

He remembered the unbearable pain. At the time, his injured body might have numbed some of the pain but now he recalled it in full.

In raw burst of emotion, he let out a feral scream and raised his leg to kick his captor away from him.

She let out a grunt after being slammed in the gut and fell back.

Makoto spared no time and unceremoniously picked himself up. The boy ran down the Cineplex steps in order to reach the exit.

A quarter of the way there, he tumbled and involuntarily rolled down the rest of the way. Makoto didn’t even stay down for two seconds by the time he stopped.

He simply got up and ran  and any semblance of pain was ignored out right. Whatever he felt at the moment wouldn’t compare to what laid in store for him if she caught up. If Leon could do _that_ to him then that girl, that **demon**  could do unspeakable things.

No. That wasn’t going to happen. He was getting the hell out of here, nothing else mattered compared to that.

Adrenaline levels at their peak, Makoto sprinted as fast he could down the halls until he came across the gated door once more where the turret blocked his way. To discern the authenticity of the weapon, he removed the bracelet on his wrist and threw it towards the gate. The next instant, rapid-fire bullets reduced the accessory to nothing.

Makoto froze, staring at the bullet-ridden space.

_Maybe…I could make it._

He smacked himself in the face in an attempt to regain some common sense and then darted back, hoping she wasn’t on his trail. The gymnasium was out of the question, the windows were bolted shut and he didn’t even dare think someone with his physique could unlock them.

But maybe there was an escape on the upper floors? He ran to the location of the staircase on the first floor and discovered it had been blocked by a shutter gate.

_No No No No!_

In an act of desperation, he brought his shoulder down on the gate in an attempt to break it down. His actions proved fruitless and he was running out of time.

Makoto turned around to make sure ifhe was still alone. There was nothing in the halls as far as he could see but he heard the sounds of footsteps, the clacking of heels to be precise. He noticed they were also unnecessarily loud, like she was taunting him.

He ditched yet another attempt and ran to the recording room. He locked the entrance behind him and slumped down to the floor, back pressed against the only exit.

Makoto was exhausted, evidenced by his heavy breathing  and profuse sweating – He felt his heart would give out if he ran any further.

He was trapped. Trapped in this place with that thing.

The unluckster pushed his head down with both hands and shut his eyes.

The trembling ultimate knew he couldn’t hide here forever, she’d figure out this room was locked eventually and break it down. He didn’t know how or when but he knew he she would.

Reflecting on the situation he thought. _How did I get here? He was just an average person…what the hell had he done to deserve this?_ _I-I don’t want to die like that again, **anything but that.**_

Un-befitting the circumstances, his stomach growled loudly.

He literally hadn’t eaten any in over a day and had done nothing but trekking around an island and now an empty school.

“Not the time.” He hissed

“Someone sure is hungry~” A voice other than his own spoke from.inside.the.room.

 He felt his heart stop

Makoto’s eyes opened wide and slowly brought his head up, fearing what he might see.

Junko sat on one of the desks, gazing at him in amusement. It was the same pose she had made when he first woke up in the classroom. But now he saw that amusement for what it was: Malice.

There was no other entrance into the room besides the one behind him…therefore, she had done the impossible.

Makoto realized clearly that he had been toyed with. There was never anywhere he could run and nowhere to hide. She just let him scurry around like a rat to show him how futile it all was.

Junko approached him but all he did was stare up at her in shock. She knelt down to match their height and tilted her head; sadism oozing through her features.

A sole tear fell down Makoto’s face.  Junko stretched a hand forth to wipe the liquid off and then slowly caressed his cheeks.

_It burns_

Appearing satisfied, the girl stood up and grabbed Naegi’s hands, motioning for him to stand as well.

He obliged, feeling that he had no choice in the matter.

Junko unlocked the door and took him out with her; one arm latching onto his and pulling him along. She hummed while he said nothing along the way.

\---

5 minutes later, Naegi found himself sitting alone in the cafeteria.  Junko had brought him there and made him sit patiently while she entered the kitchen.

He sat there motionlessly, not unlike a doll with its strings cut. He neither bothered to look at nor run for the doors. It wouldn’t matter in the end.

Junko came out sometime later with a sudden change in appearance. She wore a pink apron while hair had been redone into a pony tail. More importantly, she had brought a plate of curry and rice and laid it out in front of him.

Makoto looked at the newly made food and then to the girl who now sat across from him. Fingers laced under her chin as she looked at him expectantly.

“You’re hungry right?” She said.

A wordless conversation passed between them. Makoto stared at her with an expression that needed to know if the food was poisoned. Junko ignored him.

“Don’t hold back on my account, eat up…or would you prefer me to feed you?”

He didn’t need any further provocation and dug in. The food was tasteless. Given the texture, the food itself was probably excellent but Makoto didn’t believe anything would taste good to him even if it had been made by an Ultimate Chef.

After he finished, he stared back at Junko who had watched him all the while. She picked up a cloth and stretched over to wipe his chin.

“Now that you’ve calmed down, we can talk.” She said, pulling back.

“T-Talk?” He responded, unable to hide the relief in his voice.

She nodded and placed a finger onto her lips “I kinda feel we got off on the wrong foot earlier…or was it me that got off your foot?”

Makoto shifted in his seat and looked away.

“Do you make it a habit of hitting girls? Hmmmmm?”  She prodded, jokingly. Was she joking?

He stuttered  out an apology

“Upupu. Don’t worry since I’ll be over it soon anyway.” She said, ominously.

"What did you want to talk about?” He said listlessly, trying to change the subject as fast as possible.

“Your ticket out of here, vermin.” Junko claimed, with a tone alteration.

_D-Did her character change?_

“I…I can leave?” Makoto returned his gaze to her.

Was she just raising his hopes? He didn’t know, he didn’t understand this person.

“Indeed…but only if you manage to best us in a little game." She consented

_Us?_

_“_ Is there someone else here?”

“Nah, that’s just a thing I do. Don’t let it bother you much.” She said, deadpanned. Her personality had reverted to normal and the crown on her head, disappeared.

“O-Okay. Are we somewhere on the island?” He inquired timidly.

“Incorrect. This is not Jabberwock island and I believe I already confirmed your demise.” This time, Junko reformed her pony tail and spoke professionally. Where those glasses came from, he had no idea.

“If I’m dead, then where am I? I know this isn’t the academy.”

“Indeed…but before that. Have you ever heard of multiverse theory?” Junko brought up something dubious.

“Um yeah, in movies I guess. Only the basic stuff though.” He answered to the best of his ability.

“Then what I’m about to say shouldn’t surprise you too much. Do try to keep up because I don’t have the attention span to explain the same thing more than three times.”

He nodded. That number seemed off though

“Multiverse theory suggests there are a countless number of parallel worlds neighboring ‘our’ own and branch off infinitely. What determines this separation is an **[action]**.  The future isn’t set in stone you see; whatever action you or anyone else performs will result in a different future. Imagine a hypothetical World A through F in a line. World A and World B are likely to be quite similar with small differences based on performed actions. But, World C would diverge based on the actions of World B, not World A and the same for World D off C. By the time you reach World F, chances are that universe would be very different from World A.

This is a gross oversimplification, the actual thing is a complex and tangled web of transitions but what you need to remember is  that there are countless parallel worlds and that they differ greatly the farther they are away from the relevant origin.

And one more thing. While these worlds may be endless, they all exist on the same layer; a bubble if you if that makes it easier to understand. Of course, this is a nigh-impossible theory to test empirically.”

“Uh…okay. What does this have to do with where we are?” He asked, confused.

“Upupu. I was about to exact you the same question. Among these parallel universes…which one do you think we’re in?” Junko returned to her original personality.

“Huh? Wait you’re being serious…No, even before that, how could I answer that? You just said worlds run on forever.” He spluttered.

“Pick one .” She said, forcefully.

“World B?” He flinched 

"...Good guess but nope. The answer… **is none** , understand?”

Makoto looked puzzled.

_We’re not in any of them…but according to her, I’m dead. Then naturally, I wouldn’t be in any of those worlds… I’d be outside them.  That sounds pretty unbelievable._

“Where we’re currently standing is a space outside of that metaphorical bubble so we can look down on them as we please. After all, you did the same when you came into the theatre, remember?”

_The Cineplex? The recording?_

“Did you think that video of you geeks screwing around was a recording or something? Oh no, it was happening in real-time…just not to you.” Junko added, right on cue.

“Damn right I don’t believe it. You’ve got no proof.” He accused her. Something he immediately regretted.

Junko deadpanned for a moment then stood up and circled around the table separating them.

Naegi hastily left his seat and backed away…not fast enough however.

_Idiot, don't antagonize your psycho-kidnapper!_

Junko wordlessly brought out both of her open palms in front of him, earning a confused look. Afterwards, she delicately placed both palms on his wrists. He winced as he remembered the puncture wounds she’d made earlier.

Junko slid her hands down. Naegi looked at his arms in shock.

The wounds had healed but even stranger, was the watch that had been blown to smithereens by the machine-gun was back on.

He had seen her palms; there had been nothing on them so how did she do it?

“Didn’t you notice how time never moves in this place? I know you checked the clock in the classroom and that bracelet of yours should have told time.” She said.

He remembered how the handle stopped but he had dismissed them as an unlucky streak.

“Feeling like a believer yet or did you really forget what Leon did to you that quickly? If so, just tell me and I’ll be sure to leave a more…lasting impression.”  She said, with a look of condescension.

_I understand...this is all_

“…a dream. “ He said bitterly. He relaxed and slumped back into his seat, resting his head on the table. “This. _All of this_ is just a nightmare I’m having a little bit of trouble waking up from.”

 Junko watched him sit down, blankly.

“I see. So it’ll be dream denial this time. That’s dangerous talk, our viewers might rage if this story turned out to have a dream ending. ” He had no idea who Junko was talking about but she laughed derisively and sat on the table near him.

He wondered if this girl just didn’t like chairs.

‘But that’s fine too …as long as you remember that I have no problems with giving you hell in this "dream" so if you don’t want to experience those painful memories, you’ll be a good boy and listen.” She said, air-quoting the word.

Makoto nodded, flippantly.

“Back to what I was saying. You are able to be here because you’ve already passed on…and because I brought you here for a way to kill time. And if you win that game, you can go back to your world and do whatever it is failures like you do.”

_Ouch._

_"_ All I had to do was pick out a world and remake its history a little. It had to be a relatively isolated event so things wouldn’t change in the grand scheme of things and that change occurred in…”

“Jabberwock Island.” He finished for her. He didn’t believe any of it of course but he might as well humor this nightmare.

“Yes. Jabberwock island was a perfect setting…for more reasons than one and as a result, certain events occurred there that allowed me to change the nature of that world but also in a way few would notice.”

“Few? So there’s at least one person who knows what happened then.” He droned.

Junko grinned darkly in response. He didn’t understand. What was clear is that this woman hated him for reasons unknown so why go through all the trouble of playing a game with him? Oh well, it was a better alternative to torture.

“You _do_ catch on quickly, that’s a trait you’ll need.  Things didn’t go swimmingly at first, I admit. I ran into a bit of problem with world line divergences.  For the game to work there needs to be rules...and consistent ones. Doesn’t really work out if the game-board changes too much.” She trailed off.

He didn’t follow.

“In truth, your world isn’t the one I wanted but…the original is one I can no longer access and yours was the next best thing. I suppose it shouldn’t matter too much, your world was right next to His so any changes  outside of what I considered necessary would be inconsequential.”

“So I’m just somebody's replacement? Great to hear.” He mumbled. His luck is the stuff of legends.

“You should pay attention because this is the part that’s relevant for how you get back. I needed more than just picking out a world, I needed to isolate and limit the divergences as well. Let’s just say that as far as you’re concerned, I've made it so that at the start of every killing game, you’ll also be going back to the starting point on your little field trip.”

He raised his head at that.

"I-I can go back, before everything happened?” He said a bit too eagerly.

Junko responded with a nod.

Then he had a chance, he could still save everyone. He felt a pang at the guilt of not having considered his friends until now.

“Naturally, I have no intention of letting you fix everything. Your job is to deal with the despairs I have on the island.” She explained

_Despair? Leon mentioned something about that.._

“They are my chess pieces for the game and the ones that will be acting against you and spreading despair to all of your friends. It goes without saying that the despair agent in the previous round was Leon.”

“What did you do to him?” He growled

“Eeeeeeh? Was it my fault? How do you know he wasn’t like that from the start?” She switched to  a (fake) cute persona “Did you really think I’d give away my secrets?”

Indirectly, she admitted to being the cause of the incident. In a way, that was good enough for him.

“By the way, last round was my win **because you died**.” She said.

 M _y death is the loss condition? Makes sense for me but why does my life matter on her end? Where is this fixation with me coming from?_

“Your winning conditions are simple. Survive the despair on Jabberwock Island and leave. Either by yourself, all your friends or whoever’s left if it’s too difficult for you but in the end you must win. Of course, the despair agents have unique abilities like Leon but that should be fair given how outnumbered they are.  You just have to defeat them along with their plans in whatever way you see fit” She shrugged as if implying the game's difficulty had been set to easy.

 _Or we could just leave with Mr. Munakata and his friend before that._ He thought. If the girl hadn’t figured that out yet, he certainly wouldn’t clue her in. Junko had made it clear. This was a game of strategy and secrecy.

"If that's true then you've already cheated. Outnumbered? At least 3 of my friends got messed up because of you and according to Leon, there was more out there even he didn't know of." He challenged.

"Upupu, get a load of this manlet accusing ME of cheating. Listen here, I don't mess around with my rules otherwise why bother setting em? There will only be one despair that will be born out of this killing game." She explained.

Makoto was about to shoot her down before she raised a hand to silence him and continued.

"At least, that's how things start but you know...despair is contagious and spreads like wildfire. It'll be up to you to try to recover the infected if you can...or just kill them off, your choice.  And besides, the infected won't necessarily be on my side. After all, you did see  Mondo and Sayaka turn on Leon, didn't you?"

_That was true, Sayaka and Mondo only cooperated because Leon manipulated them. Once they learned that...they killed him._

The thought of his friends murdering one another was something he still couldn't get used to. He didn't think he ever would.

"Then how do they get infected then? Doesn't seem fair unless I know that."

"How does anyone fall to despair? You hit them where it hurts. The infected aren't just randomly chosen, they have to be in a position to break down first. Mondo went nuts from his oh-so-dull-and-boring boyfriend getting beheaded and Sayaka couldn't handle adversity to save her life; she went down here easier than on her producers. What's new?"

"Shut up, don't you dare make fun of them!" He lashed out. Every word from her was like poison and he'd be damned if he let her get away with insulting his friends.

"Oh? What's a scrawny piece of shit like you going to do about it?" She baited him.

An illusion or no, he had been given both a chance and a challenge and refused to back down from either.  She could rot here for all he cared but he and his friends were leaving this twisted game.

“Let’s assume for a second I believe what you’re saying.” He stood, pointed at Junko and made a proclamation using his signature pose.

“There’s no way I’d leave even a single person behind. I would save everyone and crush you absolutely, I won’t lose to you!”

“There’s no way I’d leave even a single person behind. I would save everyone and crush you absolutely. I won’t lose to you!”

**They both spoke in unison.**

“Huh?” Makoto recovered. How did she do that?

Junko’s shoulders began shaking and soon she threw her head back on the edge of the table and broke out into hideous laughter. It didn’t seem as if she would stop relatively soon.

_W-What was so funny?_

Beads of sweat began to form and his breath quickened. The headaches returned. It was the same as when he met Chihiro…no, it was even worse.

Junko’s laughter continued as she clutched her stomach and wagged her legs into the air. “There it is! I made him say it!”  She howled.

It was like…It was like the hidden joke she kept bottled up the whole time was brought to the surface after his proclamation...but why? There was something wrong. Something was…missing?  He knew that much now but what? What!?

"I must have missed the joke but what the hell is so funny!?” He spoke harshly.

Junko’s laughter calmed down slightly. She looked at him while wiping tears off her eyes.

“ _You are the joke._ **You** **don’t even remember. Again! Upupu-kyahahahaha.** ” The laughter resumed before she could even finish her speech.

_Remember? Again?  There is…something wrong with my memories..._

“You…haha…I said it didn’t I? I told you it’d be a pain to explain how things worked _for the third time_. **What made you think this was your first time coming here!?** ”

_W-What? T-The 3 rd time? That’s impossible_

“Lies…You’re lying. I’ve never seen you before in my life and you said it yourself. We only met for the first time when I woke up in the classroom!” He said…but did he really believe that? Could he trust himself to believe that?

“Oooooh, so you believed me then _but not nooow?_ ”

Makoto’s throat hitched. She had to be lying but if so, why was he reacting like this? And why won’t these damn headaches ever quit?

“W-Why would you lie back then?” _Stop it, its better if you don’t know._

 _“For this moment, of course._ I wanted to see the despair on your face when you realize what a failure you are. _”_ She continued. “Does it hurt? The migraines I mean.” She said with a knowing grin. “Tell me, have you realized why you get them? Did you think it was stress? Or what, a natural reaction to seeing the corpses of those shit-for-brains you call friends? Come ooooooooon, Makoto. You’re no fool so you should have realized it by now. I mean, didn’t you already forget the previous day a few minutes ago?”

_Realize…they began when I saw Taka and… I felt different after seeing Chihiro. Back then, they stopped and I started thinking clearly. That-------- was how I figured Leon was the killer. It was how I knew it was possible for him to kill then…the reason I felt that way was because…_

Junko trailed her way towards him and began circling around him. “It’s funny you know. The transition from going back to that plane and waking up here is _killer_ on the self and the mind. So bad, that you’re liable to even lose your memories in the process.  I wonder what kind of cruel bastard even thought that up…well I guess it can’t be called a _real_ killing game without _someone_ having the memory reliability of a goldfish. Upupu”

_I lost my memories? Then…that means I’ve also lost to her?_

“Oh Oh Oh, let me guess. You were thinking that you could just screw the rules and get off that island using Munchy’s boat right, riiiiight? Ahahaha- did you really think I’d let you? Are you that fuckin’ retarded!? You won’t even _remember_ this by the time you meet him…and even on the off-chance you did, I have ways around that.”

_Ah, I never stood a chance did I?_

He remembered. In all the chaos he had forgotten but he remembered now. “The dream…”

“Hmmmm?” Junko brought a hand to her ear.

“I had a dream…another me was speaking…he said he would escape the island.” He said, languorously.

Further laughter ensued.

“Now isn’t that just precious. You’re having dreams within a dream. Say, is that even possible?” She mocked him…and it was working.

He had been overwhelmed by her.  This woman sucked him up completely into her pace.

“You best be careful, Ma-Ko-To~. People who dream their whole lives away only have death awaiting them when they awaken.” She whispered into his ear from behind.

This…wasn’t a dream.

Her arms snaked under his, circled around his chest and pulled his back close to her.

Makoto felt as if life had been sucked out of him “What do you want from me?” He pleaded

"What do I want? A peculiar question but one easily answered…There is only one thing I want from you.” She snuggled against his neck.

 “What I want

 – **_is for you to do your best_**.”

He couldn’t see her face but all trace of amusement from the girl vanished as she spoke those words. He felt like he was speaking to a completely different person. She was…empty.

“W-What?” He asked 

“Did you expect me to say I want your suffering? Your despair?

Perhaps that might have been the case some time ago but now I am after for something else entirely, something that only you may be able to provide. I do not know what that ‘something’ is. Consequently I can only ask you to try your best and for that, I have created this stage. For that reason, I will give you an infinite amount of chances as you are able.

A second chance is a truly wondrous thing, you know. The power to correct mistakes and alter the future to achieve a happy ending is something everyone has desired at one point in their lives. You should feel that now more than ever, Naegi.

But you must also remember that a happy ending is subjective to whoever wishes it; in other words, there may be as many as there are people. Once you realize that, does it really matter how many times Hope and Despair clash? As long as a winner exists there will certainly be a happy ending…so let yourself go and give it everything you have. I will accept the answer you reach no matter the outcome.

If am to be defeated and enveloped in hope  then that is fine but if you fall and are devoured by despair along the way, then that is also consummate. I simply want to see your worth...and for that, I will come at you with everything I have.”

She let go of him.

“That’ll be all for now. Too many sweets leads to diabetes, y’know.” Her persona reverting.

 **“** Besides, you must be tired after all that truth-spitting. Dinner won’t be for a while and there are dorm rooms on the first floor if you want to take a nap.  I would also recommend you check the third floor before anything else you think is productive.  I’ve unlocked the staircase, ain't I generous?”

A nap…that sounded nice right now.

He turned away to walk towards the exit

“Oh Makoto, one more thing.”

_What now?_

He turned back to face her.

The unluckster would have missed it had he so much as blinked but he would no doubt have felt it regardless. ‘It’ referring to the heel Junko had dropped on his gut out of a spin-kick.

The resulting blow sent him flying out of the cafeteria; his back blowing the doors open. Naegi flew for about 30 meters before touching and rolling onto the ground.

He had all but spit out the contents of his meal.

“Now I’m over it!” She called out with a smile and a wave from inside the cafeteria before the doors inconceivably closed on themselves.

He hated that woman.

**\---**

Makoto  placed a hand on his gut. How a girl like that could kick so hard, he would never know. Worse is that the pain was a reminder that what he was experience was real.

Junko had recommended he go to the third floor, could he really trust her? Of course not but he didn’t have a choice.

The stairway had been unlocked as she said and he made his way up. The first thing he noticed was a barricade blocking the entrance to the 2nd floor.

Was there something he wasn’t meant to see there?

He moved onward and crossed over into the third floor. This appeared to be the recreational layer of the place, as in there was actually a recreational room. Might be fun if he had nothing better do; too bad he did.

He briefly examined the physics and arts rooms. Neither subject was really his cup of tea but it didn’t hurt to look, he might have found some information there. 

Unfortunately there had been nothing of use…well, the place was clean at least. Very clean, he didn’t think the real HPA was that neat.  He thought Junko may have been a neat freak but if that’s the case, why this floor and not the first?

There were only the classrooms left and he doubted he’d find much in there.  He slid open the door leading to classroom 3-A (seriously, he was beginning to wonder if Junko was a HPA fangirl) and as expected, nada.  Checking insides of the desks also got him nowhere too.

Only one more to go. Whatever Junko asked him to find was probably there…or she was just messing with him. The latter was probably more likely.

He slid open the final door and saw her.  An apron-wearing, older woman resting her head on the teacher’s desk. 

He approached the person carefully. _If they could be here then they couldn’t be normal…did that mean he wasn’t normal?_

 _Wow, she’s pretty_. He thought up close. The woman didn’t look like a bad person but then again, neither did Junko at first and…he should probably expect they’re working together.

_She's sleeping…should I come back?_

Sleeping beauty’s eyes slowly drifted open She rubbed them and then looked at him. They remained in that position for a few seconds before…

“PERVERT!”  She screamed as she grabbed his arm, flipped him up into the air and slammed him onto the ground in masterful procession.

He grunted as his back hit the deck. When did he become a magnet for physical abuse?

“Who the heck are you?” She asked, thinking _he_ was the bad guy, apparently.

“Ow, what was that for?” He groaned, picking himself up

“That voice…That hair! Naegi!?” She hastily backed up and raised her arm defensively in a slope.

_Hmm, did this person know him?_

“Yeah, I’m Makoto Naegi.” He greeted

“B-But you’re so small…er..small-er!” She rambled.

“I’m reasonably tall! My growth spurt just hasn’t kicked in yet!” He whined. His height was a sensitive topic.

_Eh? What’s this pitying look she’s giving me?_

“O-Of course, just give it time and I’m sure you’ll grow ~~a few millimeters~~ …ehehehe.” She scratched the back of her head. She muttered the last part under her breath so he couldn't hear.

“So have we met before? You knew my name, I mean.” He scratched his cheek.

“Um…Junko told me!” The older woman proclaimed

_Why was she so surprised to see me then? Maybe she really is a suspicious person._

“Sorry about throwing you, I thought you were…ya know." She apologized. She definitely doesn't seem like Junko. Maybe he can believe her...

“That was my fault, I guess. Junko told me to come look for you…at least, I think she meant you.”

“I see…sorry that you’re here. I take it you died then?” She looked worried and she was right.

“Yeah…can we not talk about that, if possible?” He tried to say it as nicely as he could but he really didn’t want to be reminded of that. If anything, he wanted it to forget it all again.

“Sure, I just wanted to know if you were aware of your situation. That girl is up to no good again.” She sighed, and took a venomous tone when speaking of the twin-tailed girl down below.

“Does that mean you’re not with her Ms…”

“Oh right. Introductions. I’m Chisa Yukizome, call me Chisa.” She perked.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Yukizome.”

“No seriously, call me Chisa.” She said, with a scary smile

“Chisa then. How do you know Junko?” He tread carefully.

“Our relationship isn’t by choice on my part. I was brought here just like you after I died.” She muttered with a dissatisfied gesture.

“You? That must’ve been awful…and you’re so young.” But it was nice to know that he had people who he could relate to here. He might lose his sanity if he had to be around Junko alone all the time.

“Is that really something you should be saying in your position, I wonder.” She replied. Looking at him, bizarrely.

_True._

He conveyed the major details of his interactions with Junko to Chisa. 

“The problem child of all problem children.” She sighed. “I’m sorry to say but I’m as lost as you. Usually, she has a one track mind for despair and despair only. If she says that’s not what she wants then that’s probably true…but it’s no less worrying.”

“So…you don’t know either.” His shoulders sagged

“Sorry…but even if I did, I doubt she would allow me to tell you.” She said, regretfully.

“Why?” He tilted his head.

“I can’t tell you that either. Junko has a way of keeping things under wraps in this place but just know that there are some things I’m physically incapable of doing because of it. You’ll probably figure it all out in time anyway. After all, the point of any game is progress.” Chisa added

_Too bad…but maybe there’s someone else that can help._

“Okay but is there anyone else around and if so, where could I find them?”

“There are…others but I can’t tell you who they are or where either.”

_That wasn’t too helpful…maybe he could ask in a less direct way?_

_"_ But if Junko sent you to find me then there must be some way I can help," Chisa wondered.

"Wouldn't you helping me work against her unless...?" Was this a bad idea after all.

"No No, I'm definitely on your side here, Junko's just something of an idiot, thankfully.  That girl would never want a game where she would win for sure and from what you told me, you have quite an advantage I think." Chisa said.

"Could you explain? Simply please." He didn't think he could handle any more bombshells today.

"Junko told you that she's expecting something out of you and that she'll give you an infinite number of chances. In other words, Junko's given you the initiative; your resolve determines who wins and who loses. This time there's no grand objective in it for her, it's all on you." Chisa explained...though he didn't quite know what she meant by 'this time'.

"I think I get it...but can I really win?" He asked, pessimistically.

"What do you mean?" She responded gently

"Can I beat her? I mean, she does all these weird impossible things and my friends...I don't want to suspect them. I've even died twice before...maybe its better I don't keep my memories." He chuckled, deprecatingly.

"That's no good, mister!" Chisa yelled and poked harshly at his forehead, catching him off guard and nearly causing him to fall back.

"Eh?" He let out

"That negativity's the last thing we need; I expected better of you, Makoto. Junko may seem tough but she's beatable, y-...tsk."  

"Why'd you stop?" He looked, quizzically.

"That's what I was talking about. When I say there are things I'm incapable of saying, I meant it literally...but you know, all that means is that she's trying to hide weak-points. People only do that when they're afraid of having them exposed. If Junko was really invincible, she wouldn't need all these tricks." Chisa explained

That was true but... was it enough?

"I've got an idea. I'll have to teach you the ropes." Chisa beamed

"You can do that?"

Chisa pointed to the front desk in the classroom and motioned for him to sit while she stood at the teacher's desk.

"Sure, I know all about killing games and such. I was in one. Not for long though."

_....Huh? Did I hear that right?_

_"_ Plus, I was a teacher myself so that's what Junko's probably expecting anyway," Chisa added.

 _Was she just going to gloss over her previous statement?_  He thought

"You were a teacher?" He opted for a more polite conversation instead and didn't tack on " _before you died._ "

"Yeah, the class I taught was pretty crazy but they were all great kids. I learned a lot from them too before a big accident." She showed a sad smile.

_Damn it, I screwed up._

"Its fine if you don't want to talk about it." He tried to reassure her but she shook her head.

"No, some things should be told even if they're painful. Well, let's just say we all got into quite a scandal and along the way, we lost a very important member of the group." Even without specific context, Makoto could see guilt written all over the teacher's face.

_Oh..._

"Sadly, things got worse after she passed away. We were all lost for a long time but...a miracle happened. A special person and his friends never gave up on us even after we did some unsavory things and as a result, all of us were saved."

"Us...even you?" He asked, he felt the word 'save' was somewhat ambiguous.

"Yes, even me. Even though I died, I was saved too." For that one moment, Chisa spoke as someone who had no regrets over their lives. 

He had doubted someone as kind as genuine like this...but he couldn't accept that.

 _Someone like this was killed?_ Based on her words and relation to Junko, he had pieced together that Chisa was _murdered_ in a twisted situation like he was in.

"I don't like it..."

"Hm?" She probed.

"I can't accept something like that as saving. You shouldn't have had to say goodbye to anyone that soon. That's just not fair!" He stood up and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Reality is cruel, Naegi but accepting that is part of what it means to be an adult, **I'm sure you'll understand someday**. I'm well aware of my circumstances however, I don't plan to waste away feeling sorry myself nor wish it had been someone else instead.

BI like that sort of thinking and I'm sure he felt the same way about everyone he lost. He never gave up trying to save everyone he could and even when he failed, he didn't stop believing he could save more."

"Does it matter when he didn't?" 

"The mindset is what's important. Without the drive to attain the best possible future, the fruits of his efforts would have diminished. He couldn't protect everyone but _he saved people nonetheless_ ; people who would most likely have died without his beliefs. Those lives are proof that his efforts meant something and you're a lot alike in that regard." She replied.

"You think?" When putting it that way...this person sounded sort of amazing. Was it alright for someone as average as him to compare?

She nodded "That's why I think you should take that drive, the need to protect everyone you care about and use it to save your friends on that island."

_She's right...I can't give up yet...huh?_

Makoto felt a scratchy sensation all of a sudden  and the next thing he knew, the desk in front of him start chipping away into thin air…all of them were.

He stood up in panic and soon started coughing blood. There was something happening. His insides were dissolving…like they were dipped in acid.

“Naegi!”  Chisa rushed towards the luckster and held him. Somehow the progress had stopped but the damage he had already incurred didn’t go away…and neither did the pain.

 Was he going to have to become used to this?

“Darn it...what is that kid thinking? **He** should know better.” Chisa said, angrily.

That was when he heard it. A harmonious sound came from above him. Moments after, Makoto felt his condition improve; the pain had dulled considerably…no he felt better now than he did before Junko kicked him.

With a relieved sigh, Chisa let go of him.

“What was that?” He said, fearfully and checked his body to see if everything was fine.

“I can’t say but I can bet Junko was involved somehow.” She murmured.

“Then the music? Did she do that too?”

“Ah no…that came from the highest floor in the building.”

The top floor? If this place was modeled after the academy then it should have at least 5 floors and Hope’s Peak itself is much larger than some university institutions. A small community could probably live here for years without trouble. The instrument couldn’t have been very loud since the music was soft on the ears however, for the sound to be that clear…

“Don’t wrack your head around it too much. I said it didn’t I? You’ll figure out everything eventually. At least, you should feel better now right? So let’s get back to class!” She said

“That’s it!? But the class just started disintegrating. Aren’t you worried!?” He replied, incredulously.

“Stuff like that happens every once in a while, you learn to get over it. Besides, you’re a young man, a little danger should be exciting!” She said with stars in her eyes.

_This person was a bit of an eccentric herself…but its in a good way, I think. She kind of reminds me of Asahina._

The memory of the swimmer’s critical state came back to him…was she alright?

_I’ll just have to place my faith in Sayaka. As for myself then I’ll do the best I can and try to fix everything. Somehow I’ll get us our normal lives back._

“Ms. Yukizome.” He said and saw her eyes narrow to slits in response

“Um…Chisa, please teach me the skills I need.” He bowed before the teacher.  He remembered the scene of the classroom when he arrived. Looking between Chisa and the empty set of rows in the class instilled a sense of forlorn in him, now that he understood the teacher's past. Maybe he could help fill that void a bit.

A hand rested over the top of head and played with his hair.

“Just leave it to me, Naegi. I’ll do my best to give you all the assistance you need. Just remember to always have hope, no matter what you face or learn. Don't ever lament about your circumstances or wish them on somebody else; what matters is that you confront them as best you can. Your memories and experiences are a part of you and give you strength, wishing them away is the same as running from your problems and asking to be vulnerable.

Not that you of all people need that kind of advice. You might stumble along the way but I know you'll overcome all obstacles. There isn't anyone I know who believes in hope more than you.”

_Me? I'm not really sure I understand...but for someone to have that much faith in me makes me happy._

"Thank you, Ms.Yukizome. I won't betray your expectations."

_And I've decided, I'll also save you too._

"That's Chisa and you don't have to worry about me. This might be the only time I'll ever quote Junko but...no matter what happens, I'll accept what you are. Just do your best." She kept ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, I won't lose hope." For the first since he arrived, Makoto smiled.

However, he spoke facing the ground. And as a result, he was unable to see Chisa’s sorrowful expression.

\---

“This is…disappointing, Enoshima.” He said, from within the cafeteria, gazing in the direction of where the boy had been flung out.

 It was simply put, a contradiction

He observed the ordeal between the “newcomer” and Enoshima with fragments of interest. In the end, they were overcome by predictable disappointment, as expected. The child was overpowered splendidly however that was par for the course. One cannot ever hope to outplay a Straight flush without any proper cards of their own; such a miracle cannot occur. Not that they ever do.

But that was all it was, a Straight Flush and not a Royal Flush. Enoshima’s hand was not unbeatable (at least what she claims is her hand) therefore, he anticipated a miracle.

For in spite of the boy’s apparent mediocrity, the woman’s favor had not diminished one bit. Therein lied the contradiction and that was interesting.

“That you, Izzy?  Watcha’ doing standing around in the corner, big guy?”

A transparent farce.

While the talentless one had failed to notice his presence, much to his dissatisfaction, she should have from the moment they entered. She must have. That is the standard that must be held to someone who possesses the same ability as he.

She merely wished for him to acknowledge her first. Her eccentricities never ceased to amaze in their pointlessness.

“I wish to know why you really chose to appear in the classroom when he woke.  This is the first time you have done so.  And while I trust you do not need reminding, I will regardless – do not lie to me.” He stepped out of the shadows.

“That’s all? I thought it would be fun. I always wondered what it would be like to participate in that whole “protagonist wakes up and meets the groupies in a suspicious place” thing. Mukuro hogged all the fun last time, even if she hopelessly botched my personality. Oh well, sister dearest tried her best,”

“You’re not telling the complete truth.” He shot.

“So? All you told me was to not lie.” She deflected.

_A fair point_

“Very well but how will you explain your blatant affronts to his personal privacy. You are many things, Enoshima however I never took you for a sexual deviant. Not a legitimate one.”

“What’s this? What’s this? Are you jealous?” She squealed.

A ridiculous attempt at deflecting the subject. He merely responded with “The look”

“Okay chill. It's because he’s like totally squishy and stuff, plus his reactions are to die for. It was the same back when we were in school.” She crossed her arms and smirked shamelessly.

That…was the truth. “I regret asking.”

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, trust me.”

“I choose to abstain. Your fascination with the boy is as perplexing as ever. This is the 3rd iteration and he has demonstrated no qualities that warrant the praise you have given; at best, his skill at deduction is somewhat above average. His talent, while unpredictable unlike Komaeda’s, is far too erratic to be considered reliable. An ability one can’t master may as well be worthless. Am I to presume your word was merely lip service?”

“This again? For someone who was once called the Ultimate Hope, ye sure have little faith.” She waited for a reaction, he gave none. “Tough crowd.  Just give him a little time, he stumbled like crazy in my world too but when it counted…” The blond gave a rare show of genuine frustration.

“You would do best to be careful then. While I spoke ill of his skill, his performance this time outclassed the previous two. Certainly, the average detective provides considerable assistance but in the end, he was the one to root out that trash simply by gaining access to his memories on a subconscious level. Had he retained any worthwhile information on your rules, you may have lost and from what he (foolishly) told you about his dreams, that will become a reality very soon. I suggest you step up your efforts unless you want the next round to be a short one and bring a similarly abrupt end to our amusement.”

“I’ve already considered that…but my, are you sure you’re not the one exaggerating his ability now?” She said.

“I do not exaggerate anything. An exaggeration underlines falsehood and while it is well within my capacity to implement fabrications flawlessly, I do not care for them.”

“I’ve heard the whole truth spiel before, this is starting to sound like a lecture and you’re not an old guy.” 

“If you’re aware then for what purpose do you continue to debase yourself with them? During your explanation, you uttered a lie…or rather, facilitated misunderstandings. That misconception was small enough for him to not (want to) notice the discrepancy in your words but vital enough that it would change everything if he did. When that truth comes to light…he will fall.”

“Oh? Was that based on your predictions…or are you speaking from experience, Haji-”

This time, she got a reaction.

The air tensed as matter around them slowly dissipated. In a matter of seconds, the formerly cluttered cafeteria had been clean out. Desks, tables, chairs all vanished to nothing.

Junko on the other hand remained unimpressed.

“You test my patience, Enoshima. We had a deal; you will never mention or allude to **that** in my presence ever again or else…”

“Yeah well, I feel like it’s been way too long since we did stuff together and besides…I like it rough.”

A poor excuse. He had prodded her insecurities and she wanted to lash out. Very well, he would indulge her.

Before they could go further, a melody passed through and filled the large and empty space. In addition, the furniture that Izuru had wiped clean returned to normal as if he had made no impact at all.

The Ultimate Hope and Ultimate Despair turned their attention to the ceiling detecting the source of the sound to come from above them.

“Interrupting…how boring.” He remarked

“Totally, what a buzzkill.” She agreed.

Their aggression faded as quickly as it came. As it always did, false emotions were dull in their fleeting relevance.

“Anyway, if you’re so interested Makoto then why don’t you go to the theatre and watch our past battles yourself.” She addressed him

“You say this even though you are the one who deterred me using your **[Authority]**.” He argued back.

“Ha! Is that the excuse you’re going with? Its you we're talking about; you should be able to defy me at least a little.” She continued “ But we both know the real reason why you won't. You don’t _want_ to know. What plebeian ruins the impact of a masterpiece by spoiling themselves early”

“Whether or not _that_ can be considered anything remotely resembling a masterpiece is the argument in question.” He retorted

She sighed “I can’t win with you. Just give him some time…besides; I’d say he’s in capable hands. The next round should entertain even you.”

“...I look forward to it then."

He had heard all he needed and left the woman to do as she pleased until the boy was ready.

In the likely event he fails to meet expectations then that is inconsequential for there are enough elements present to provide him with long-term entertainment. Junko Enoshima...she is an interesting woman.  She possesses the same view as he yet she is able to defy it in ways he cannot. That is why he chooses to follow her, at least for the moment.  If a battle between them were to break out then mutual destruction would be the most probable conclusion…he may test that one day.

However, Enoshima is not the only object of interest. To say that Enoshima was the master of this world would not be an overstatement. It is simply a testament to **that person’s** ability to be worthy of comparison. In one way, they are a superior existence to Enoshima herself.

He directed his gaze to the ceiling.

He hoped that boy proved to be worthy of his interest after all, he might be a useful tool to disrupt the equilibrium of this world.

The words Enoshima had told the lucky student still remained fresh in his mind. A faint echo of emotion surged within but it was just that, an echo. He was no longer capable of such trifles anymore…still

“Even if a happy ending does not await any of us at the end of this story…I hope you do not disappoint me, Makoto Naegi.”

_Hope…what an odd concept._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this, I realized you could cut the dramatic irony and foreboding in this chapter with a butter knife. This was one of the first scenes I had in mind when thinking of this fic hence the dream sequence in chapter 2.


	9. Partners in Crime

“Thanks for waiting, everyone. Now after a short break, Naegi’s mini-training arc finally begins!” An over-excited teacher proclaimed to the heavens.

“Chisa…who are you talking to?” A-less-than-enthusiastic-Makoto looked on, puzzled. He yawned, just having took a long nap. Honestly, it felt like he'd been asleep for months.

“None of your business…and that’s sensei to you!” Again with the finger pointing.

 “I thought you _wanted_ me to call you Chisa.” She’s gone full Spartan…

“There is only sensei now.”

And here I finally got used to calling her that.

“Alright, sensei.” He conceded. To which Yukizome gave a satisfied nod.

“From what you’ve told me, Kuwata was quite the little troublemaker in the previous game. So devious and you didn’t expect a thing!”

“It wasn’t his fault, all of it was because Junko brainwashed him.” Or something…Makoto wasn’t really sure now that he thought about it

“Whether he’s responsible isn’t the problem. It’s how slow you were to catch onto him.” She said, clapping a ruler onto her palm.

“Had you suspected him before leaving the music venue, you would probably have won that game. Your plan to catch Kuwata off-guard near the funhouse was pretty clever but you lacked the fundamental pieces to make it work.”

“Pieces?”

“ _Your friends_. Had you ambushed him with more firepower on your side, there wouldn’t have been a problem.”

What she said made sense. After all, Leon’s plan revolved around getting the powerhouses out of the way…

“Maybe… but if Kyouko hadn’t been there, then forget being late – I probably wouldn’t have realized Leon’s scheme at all. Solving murders is too complex for me.” He once again ruminated over how an average high school student like himself could have found his way into this mess.

“Kirigiri huh? From what you’ve told me, she’s very smart…but you are too.”

He shook his head. “I was just holding her back. If I didn’t confuse her, she would have solved it ahead of time like Ryouko said, and she wouldn’t have…” He gave in to the impulsive urge to cry at the memory of the detective’s lifeless, burn-scarred body.

“Here you go.” Makoto’s gaze trailed towards Yukizome’s outstretched palm. She had offered him a pearl-white handkerchief, which he gladly accepted.

“Thanks.” He said, wiping the tears away. Afterwards, he examined the cloth and took notice of a golden clip on one of the edges…along with an insignia near it that had the initials K.M.

“Where did Leon even learn to do anything like that anyway? Stuff like that only happens in comic books.”

“Junko’s influence, undoubtedly. She can’t interfere with the living world directly so she tries to achieve her goals in roundabout ways. Junko can’t kill you or your friends on the island; however she can make her subjects do it for her. How exactly she’s managing to reach your friends is something even I don’t know.” Yukizome answered.

“Another dead end, huh?” He frowned.

“Maybe , maybe not. But that brings us to today’s lesson!” The instructor said, regaining her vigor.

“Lesson? What’s it on, Chisa?” He wondered

A knife was suddenly impaled right between his  hands on the desk.

Makoto’s expression was akin to that of a fish out of “W-What was that for!?”

“…You know why.”

“I’m sorry…sensei.”

Chisa brightened up and put the knife away.

Wait.

“No scratch that. Where did that knife even come from?”

“I used it to teach why you should listen to your elders - Bad things happen when you don’t.” She smiled, coyly/

“That didn’t answer my question.” He suppressed the urge to correct her on how she wasn’t much older than him. 21 at most, she could be his older sister at that age.

“Oh but I did. I brought it out because it was necessary to train you. And that’ll be how we start your Image training!” She smiled resolutely and spread her arms out wide.

They were enveloped in a gaudy, bright light that made Makoto brace himself in fear of going blind.

Once he reopened them he noticed they were… in the gymnasium?

“H-How did we get back to the first floor?” He wondered

Chisa shushed him and then pointed to the front of the large room. What he saw were…16 people arguing amidst a…is that a stuffed bear?

Makoto shook his head. Forget the toy, there were others here!

He ran over to them in an attempt to ask for their instance however, Chisa held him back.

“They can’t help you.” She said “Even from the distance, you should be able to see something off about them.”

Upon the teacher’s direction, Naegi _did_ see something strange. Their clothes were normal and their hair distinguishable…but their bodies were a translucent blue color. What the heck is going on?

“They’re dolls I made that can’t see or hear you.”

“You made these?” The disbelief in his tone was clear.

“Yup. I created this entire scenario for your image training.” The gymnasium too then…but that wasn’t the issue here.

“Not that. I mean how!?”

“Naegi…I hope I’m wrong about this but I think you’re still doubting your position here.” Yukizome warned, in the same manner that a mother would “ask” a child if they pilfered cookies from the fridge.

“…” His silence was enough.

“That’s why this lesson will begin teaching you how to properly observe when it’s time  to trust and when it’s time to doubt.” The bubbly elder said.

“You’ve seen your friends achieve a number of inhuman feats and you saw Junko do so as well…what made you think I or the other residents here wouldn’t be capable of the same?”

…

 “What can you do then?” He inquired, timidly

“That’s a bit tough to answer.” She gave him a pensive look. “I can do just about anything as long as I believe it’s possible for me.”

Makoto blinked dumbly for a moment before he processed the  full ramifications of the woman’s statement .

“T-Then can’t you get us out of here!?” He shouted.

“Out of where?” Chisa stared at him.

What does she mean where? Obviously he meant…wherever…this place was?

All Junko had told him was this was some kind of nexus above the living plane but that was about as helpful a description of his location as being told he was currently outside of Japan!

 “I have never seen the outside of this place so I don’t even know _where_ we are exactly or where we would end up if we left. I can’t imagine it therefore I can’t do it.” Yukizome continued.

“You can at least imagine beating Junko right. We can figure out the rest later.” He knew it was a futile question. If she could’ve done such a thing, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Impossible.”

“Why!?”

She gave no response. So she couldn’t explain _that_ either…

“There is one more limitation that I’m ashamed to admit…and that would be my inability to do anything for myself.” Chisa frowned.

“Huh?”

“What I mean is that my ability doesn’t work whenever I desire to help myself. It has to be for the purpose of supporting others.  What I made here is a simulation of Hope’s Peak but it only happened because it was used for _your_ benefit.”

In other words, even if she wanted to leave, she couldn’t have done it without relying on someone else who wanted to? What use is that?

“Personally, I think it represents my ideal as a teacher. All I ever did was attempt to raise up the ones I loved…”

Naegi felt like there was something unfinished in her tone but he decided against pushing it. He had said enough irresponsible things for one day.

“Alright. What do I do with these dolls?” He returned to the matter at hand and observed the dolls continued arguing.

“Chi-“ Makoto wasn’t given a response, he returned his attention to Chisa and found the teacher had vanished.

“…Sensei?” He called, anxiously.

He looked all around the gymnasium and found no sign of her.

…He had to learn how they did that one day. He stepped towards the dolls, who were now separated from each other and gazing around as tensely as he did when he first stepped foot in this place.

A beeping sound became more and more apparent as he moved closer, then a burly “man” suddenly grabbed the bear and tossed it into the air.

The next thing he knew, the toy…exploded!?

The dolls all made similar gestures of disbelief and fear. Naturally, they had no distinct facial expressions but he could deduce that much from all the screaming and loss of composure.

Chisa had said this was a simulation so there’s no way it could have hurt him…right?

He didn’t want to test it and kept his distance while maintaining hearing distance of the dolls. It was strange watching them panic over what he knew was largely inconsequential.

Oh, the bear showed up again on the podium.

“What the hell was that about!?” It shouted

The stuffed animal talked…

Is it wrong that this is the very closest to a normal experience he’s had all day? By comparison, this didn’t even register. Plus he knew everything was fake anyway.

What it said next was puzzling. In summary, the bear mentioned that it was sponsoring a killing school life where the “students” (he presumed the dolls) needed to kill each pther to leave the building. Afterwards, they needed to cover their tracks and not be ousted by the remaining student body.

Evidently, the scenario here was similar to his own however strange in its own way. Did that mean the ‘image training’ Chisa talked about meant he had to figure out who the killer was ahead of time? It made sense if he looked at it that way.

Still, that meant a murder would be assured. It was no problem for him…probably, although the dolls didn’t share his passivity. To them, their circumstances were as real as his.

Makoto was sympathetic , nevertheless that was all he  could do, his task just needed him to put up with it and learn. Was that cruel of him? It was a matter of perspective.  It was like watching characters act out in a video game or a drama; even though you might feel bad for them, you take comfort in the fact that their pain isn’t real.

Perhaps this was what it meant to look down on others from the viewpoint of God.  Personally, he thought it wasn’t a very pleasant mindset to have.

Not much progress had been made on their end. The strange panda-colored animal disappeared and left the students to their own devices. They had spent time brooding and accosting one another with profanities; mostly from a short blond one in a suit. Now they had moved towards the introductions, perhaps he could learn something by listening.

“…-ultimate gamer, Chiaki Nanami, nice to meet you~” Came a lazy greeting from the first.  She had confirmed as he expected, that the dolls were symbolic of HPA students. Still, this one was pretty lax given their circumstances.

“Then I shall go next. Please refer to me as Sonia Nevermind, the princess of Novoselic and it should be no surprise as to what my talent is.” A princess? That’s pretty impressive.  Even he could tell she had a powerful way of words that made anyone want to pay attention.

“I’m Kazuichi Souda, the ultimate mechanic. Pleased to meet you, Miss Sonia.” This one addressed only the princess. The Leon vibes were strong in this one.

“Ah, a fellow purveyor of loooove I see, then naturally, I shall follow.  I’m the ultimate chef, Teruteru Hanamura and don’t you forget it. Your stomachs certainly won’t and, if given the opportunity, neither will your loins.” Oooookaaaay, he didn’t need long to figure _his_ personality out. Naegi blushed.

“Seriously, you’ve got to stop with that. You’re scaring the other ultimates.” Another interrupted “Ah, since I’ve already started talking, permit me to go next. I’m Nagito Komaeda and I’m the ultimate lucky student; not much of a talent, I know.” Eh?  Why would Chisa give this guy _his_ talent? There was probably a clue here so I should watch out for him.

“Eeeew, it’s  creepy when you’re soooo polite Big bro Nagito. As for me, I’m Hiyoko Saionji and I’m the ultimate dancer.” A short girl replied next. She seemed like the type who’d bully him endlessly.

“A-A dancer? T-That must mean you’re c-coordinated right…not like me at all.” A girl with messy split ends addressed the dancer.

“Shut it, pig barf.” And was met with a brutal insult.

 He sweatdropped as the bandaged girl started crying from a child’s antics. How sensitive.

“Stop that! You have no right to bully her.” A redhead admonished Saionji, much to the pigtail’s dismay.

“T-Thank you for sticking up for me. My name is Mikan Tsumiki by the way…and I’m the ultimate nurse.”

“I’m Mahiru Koizumi, the ultimate photographer…And you could stand to be tougher.”  The type to have expectations of other people, huh.

“Hey Hey, enough with the noise already, I’m trying to not think here if you don’t mind.”  A bodacious one intruded next. “Oh right, the introduction thing. Name’s Akane owari, the ultimate gymnast.” She would probably get along with Hina and Sakura.

“AHAHAHA! You’re rather simple aren’t you and an athlete too!  I like that.” The large man who had thrown the bear earlier said gleefully…and with lightning coming out of his plastic eyes. “I’m Juzo Sakakura, the ult-.” The rest was blocked out as Naegi nearly choked on his own spit

… _WHAT_?

On multiple levels, _WHAT?_

To begin with, Makoto had already _met_ Sakakura. He was a brash and dark-skinned older man who exuded hostility to everyone but his boss. For that reason alone, what he had just heard was preposterous. Sakakura looked nothing like this guy and he definitely wasn’t so…happy!  

Secondly, why was that name even showing up here? Makoto had never mentioned Sakakura to Chisa…did that mean she knew him? If so, why not just use his actual appearance?

His head hurt just thinking about it

…Darn, he forgot to pay attention.

“Gundham, do you own wild animals as well?” Nevermind asked.

“I, the darklord Gundham Tanaka have tamed the mighty Cerberus itself! Mere hell-hounds are child’s play” The doll with a purple scarf replied in an incomprehensibly verbose manner.

“Stop dicking around, idiots. Can’t you see we’re in deep shit right now!?” The vulgar short one said.

“Chill Fuyuhiko, Ibuki will blow Monokuma way with the power of music!” Replied a female doll with colorful hair.

“Mioda, I believe my sword would be…somewhat more up to the task than your songs.” A braided woman with a wooden sword said. He didn’t need to hear her intro to know what their talents were..

“Indeed, we need to consider _practical_ alternatives. Given the mastermind’s demands, I have little doubt that a use of force will be necessary to facilitate our escape.” A portly man in a silvery-white said. His appearance…was familiar but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Who died and made you the leader?” Hiyoko attacked

“Hmpf, it is only natural that someone of my esteemed status would take charge.” He folded his arms and declared “After all, my name is Kyousuke Munakata, the ultimate student council president.”

Makoto deadpanned.

He was going to have some serious questions for Chisa when this was all over.

“Looks like I’m the last.” A spiky haired doll with an ahoge similar to Naegi’s own began “My name is Hajime Hinata and I…don’t have a talent.”

Makoto looked on in mild surprise. This one didn’t have a talent at all…not that there was anything wrong with that. Talent wasn’t everything, but that ironically made Hinata stand out here as the only one without it.

“Ah, then you are as they say, an ordinary boy?” The princess addressed him.

“I…guess?” From the sound of his voice, he wasn’t comfortable with that designation. Naegi didn’t think there was anything wrong with being average (he was too, all things considered) however, he wasn’t insensitive enough to think that mindset applied to everyone.

“How amazing, you simply must tell me about yourself!” Miss. Nevermind was undoubtedly interested in him, much to Souda’s dismay.

Makoto chuckled at the scene before him. That was when the same obnoxious light that encompassed him earlier appeared.

When Makoto opened his eyes, he saw the princess and the average boy interacting around a showcase of items. Nevermind marveled at a glittery ornament in the shape of a sword while Hinata assured her it wasn’t real.

Given that it was just those two in the vicinity, Naegi presumed the larger group had split off into smaller ones. Furthermore, that the scenario only included the duo suggested they were the focus of this simulation.  For the next hour, he trailed after them like a ghost, smiling at the socialization.

It was a strange dynamic; Nevermind was clearly the dominant persona in the conversation but she was constantly deferring to Hinata’s expertise and making him take charge.  The boy’s embarrassed reactions were comically familiar.

It was a usual boy meets girl scenario until the bear (Monokuma , was it?) called them all to the computer lab.

Makoto frowned at being back “here” after his run-in with Junko. It appeared this wasn’t a pleasant experience for the other students either; just like earlier in the gymnasium, gasps, yelling and alike filled the room after seeing what was on the computer screen.

Makoto peered into Hinata’s and saw more blue-skinned dolls. Judging from his reaction though, they were his family.  The other students had something similar.

“If you would all excuse me, I must gather my bearings.” Nevermind uncharacteristically ran out of the room. Hinata followed almost immediately after.

Perhaps it was a momentary burst of courage that drove Hinata to hold the girl in his arms and declare he would protect her. Makoto couldn’t help but root for his fellow ahoge brother…but then he remembered that someone was probably going to be murdered.

The scene shifted again. Now Makoto stood inside Hinata’s room as the Novoselic princess accompanying him, suggested the two switch rooms for the night in lieu of her hearing strange knocking sounds on her door. Hinata agreed.

Makoto raised an eyebrow at this. Protecting Nevermind was the right call for sure… but now he’d be placing himself in harm’s way.  He remained there until Hinata left the room.

The surroundings changed again. This time he remained in the same spot however…the room…was…destroyed. The entire area was in chaos. Scrapes and shears everywhere.

No doubt a struggle had gone on in here. Wasting no time, Makoto surveyed every inch and corner of the room. All except one place- The bathroom.

He gulped as he pushed the door in and what he found was, as expected, the broken doll that was Sonia Nevermind.

A pink liquid dripped down as a knife was lodged into her side. He had never been more grateful for the fact that her appearance wasn’t that of a human’s else he might have vomited at the sight.

Not soon after, Hinata entered the room frantically. Perhaps he’d gotten a sign from someone but his reaction to seeing Nevermind in that state was crushing.

Naegi shut his ears in preparation for Hinata’s scream.

He just needed to remember none of this was real - It was just a game. The average boy fainted not long afterwards. Moments later, the others followed into the room and caught sight of the body.

Their reactions were no less severe.

They carried Hinata to the gymnasium where he woke up eventually. To no surprise, he became suspect #1 since the corpse was found in his room. Whatever little experience Naegi possessed foresaw that eventuality.

But was it true though? To begin with, the choice of target was strange. If the killer didn’t know Nevermind and Hinata had switched rooms then that would mean the latter had been the target. Possible as he was the only one without a talent, maybe they thought he’d be easy prey? Still, surely there were more optimal targets. Could it have been random? Unlikely.  A kill needs to be pre-meditated, you can’t just go up to someone and kill without a plan…besides, for it to have happened the night when the two so conveniently decided to switch rooms? Coincidences like that just don’t occur…unless you were really lucky.  Should he keep Komaeda in mind?

Either way, Hinata was the only one who knew Nevermind was in his room so logically, he’s the prime suspect…and that’s why he was anything but.

It was too simple. Hinata would have just given himself away by killing Nevermind in his room. It may not be easy for his associates to figure out but Naegi was looking down on them as a player in a game/ reader in a novel.

Moreover…Hinata seemed like a really nice guy. Everything he did felt genuine in an awkward way, certainly not the type to murder.

…Wasn’t that what he’d thought of Leon?

Makoto scratched his head

That…wasn’t his fault. The Leon he knew would never have killed anyone.

His mind returned to the investigation which had been spearheaded by the fake Munakata. Naegi had learned various things; the broken door knob leading to Hinata’s bathroom, the switched nameplates, the glittering sword, the knife, etc.

It was enough for him to have a vague understanding of what happened. And just in time too as Monokuma announced they all meet by an elevator that took them underground.

Now the dolls argued fiercely back and forth in a bizarre courtroom.

Naegi suddenly felt a pair of fingers tap his back and turned around sharply to see Chisa smiling down at him.

“Well, how’d it go~?” She commented, slyly.

“This…is awful.”

“I’m glad you think so. Even if these are just dolls, I’d be worried if you didn’t feel anything from this experience.”

“…Was it necessary to make them act this human?”

“It would defeat the point if they didn’t.” He had nothing to say to that. Instead, he focused on the most important detail.

“Nevermind orchestrated the murder but along the way, she was killed in turn. Hinata was meant to take the fall.” He said out of the blue.

“Full marks. How did you figure it out?” Chisa clapped.

 “Once you have all the information, it’s not that hard to solve. Nevermind’s motive is also clear; she is…was, the princess of a country and seeing her parents in that state would throw her into more chaos than the average person.

Chisa faced away momentarily and whispered under her breath ” I see…so _this_ you thinks the trial should be easily overcome.”

 “Huh?” Makoto said, having not heard.

“It’s nothing. Let’s see if Hinata can figure it out as well.”

Hinata had the same information Makoto did. Surely he should have been able to figure the mystery out by now. However, he was just defending each accusation that came at him, rather than hinting at the big picture.

“Why doesn’t he realize he’s been tricked?” Makoto wondered .

“Why indeed.” was Chisa’s vague response.

The class trial continued, Hinata was getting closer and closer to the truth all the while…but it was still far too slow. He was certain that the dolls Komaeda, Nanami and the fake Munakata had already discovered the truth and were leading him down that route for his own good. Well, he couldn’t be certain about the first, Komaeda was…confusing to say the least.

The moment finally came when Hinata clued in on the abnormalities of the switched nameplates and from there, the evidence snowballed into the most likely conclusion. Sonia Nevermind had used him and planned a murder. The one she had intended to kill had been Kazuichi Souda, with Hinata left to take the fall.

Once the verdict was decided, the blinding light resurfaced and before Naegi knew it, he was sitting on a chair in a familiar classroom.

He was back on the third floor…and it was like nothing ever happened.

…

 “What was I supposed to learn from this?” He asked

“Hmmm, let’s start with this; why did Hinata take so long to solve the mystery and why did you figure it out almost immediately?”

“We had the same knowledge…was he in denial?”

“That was likely the case at the end, not the start. “

“…I don’t know.” He wasn’t a mind-reader.

“You can’t figure it out because you made a mistake on your premise. ‘We had the same knowledge’? That wasn’t true at all; you knew someone was going to kill, you knew it would likely involve them and most importantly, you have experienced that level of deceit before. A scenario like this was child’s play however Hinata knew none of that. Naegi, the abnormal one here is you, not him.”

 “I’m…not normal?”

“Not by the standard you’re using to judge, no and there’s nothing wrong with that. Rather you need to embrace that side of yourself!”  The teacher poked Naegi’s cheek aggressively with a finger.

“What I wanted to show you was the difference in awareness and perspective between you and the norm. It was appropriate for Hinata to believe Nevermind, just as it was for you to doubt her as quickly as you did. Your circumstances are comprehensibly different…Well, we’ve discussed Hinata’s situation but what about yours? I believe I gave two quizzes.”

“…It was easy. Once you narrow down the people who knew about the switched rooms, you only have Hinata and Nevermind.” He stopped himself “Then again,  Komaeda could have done it too…”

Yukizome faced away from Makoto, covered her mouth to prevent a fit of laughter.  No matter when or where, everyone always suspects poor Nagito.

“O..kay? Like I was saying, it had to be between those two and once the evidence started piling up, Nevermind became the more likely suspect. After that, it was just a matter of thinking about who she invited. Souda was a terrible liar and that became glaringly obvious in the trial.”

“Correct!” “Hmm, that was pretty good…for someone who claims to be incapable of doing anything without Kirigiri, don’t you think?” Chisa chastised him

“That’s because…” He felt obligated to defend his friend’s honor, even if there wasn’t any real need to.

“It was easy?” Chisa rolled her eyes. “To you maybe, but that doesn’t apply to everyone. It certainly didn’t to the dolls. Even the ones that weren’t taken in by Nevermind didn’t figure it all out until mid-way through the trial.”

“I think you’re overlooking a huge advantage, Naegi. Your memories…I’m not sure if they fully disappear.” She speculated.

“What gives?”

“From what you told me. Junko said you’ve played this game three times and you were plagued by memories and dreams of the previous games. Doesn’t that mean they’re still somewhere in your subconscious?”

That made sense. It was his headaches cleared up that he **really** started to distrust Leon.

“I’ve been thinking the whole time about if your memory might get better with time as you get used to shifting between this place and the living world. Eventually, I think you’ll stop forgetting completely.”

That was good news? From Chisa’s reluctance to divulge her hypothesis, he didn’t think so.

“Naegi, while you should obviously give it your all. I think a larger aspect of this game involves trial and error. Even if you don’t win, that doesn’t mean you’re losing. The circumstances on the island are mostly the same so you should try and learn as much as you can and use that information to help you next time.”

Makoto flinched. That wasn’t a bonus, that was a consolation. A poor one at that!

 “I’ll think about it.” A consolation to having to go through _that_ again. No way, he didn’t want to die again. 

Chisa nodded

“Hey, why did you pick those personalities? Were those based on people you knew?”  He was curious,

“Hmm, something like that.”

“I knew it!” He slapped his hands onto the desk.

 So it was spite after all

“Naegi?” Chisa was taken aback by his newfound energy.

“Sure Sakakura might be a mean guy but you didn’t have to change his personality into **_that_**. It’s seriously creepy!”

“Naegi?” Chisa said again. This time, worlds more confused.

“And..And Mr.Munakata…. _WHAT_? Did he do something to you? Did he steal your shoes? Or your underwear?”

“Naegi.”

“Mocking people like that and putting them into killing games, even as avatars, is horrible. You can’t just do that because you hate them!”

“Naegi!” The teacher stomped her foot down and made the smaller boy yelp.

Chisa took a deep breath and in a voice just as loudly as Makoto had spoken in...“What the heck are you talking about!? Hate them!? They’re my friends and…you…Know them!? How do YOU know them!?”

Oh, guess he was off the mark there.

“I met them on the island.” Yukizome gasped as he informed her.

“ They weren’t part of the killings, if they were I would have told you. Munakata and Sakakura left days before.” He shook his head

“…That’s good.” Chisa let out a relieved sigh

“What’s your relationship like?” There was that curiosity again.

“Hmm, friends I guess.”

He figured there was more to it than that.

“Naegi, about Nevermind…what did you think about her?” She changed the subject.

The killer? “In what way?”

“Her personality and how she treated Hinata. Did you think it was real or fake?”

“…I don’t think it was _all_ fake; I’m sure a lot of their interactions were genuine, she seemed to have a lot of fun. That said, Nevermind also manipulated Hinata for sure, but she couldn’t really be faulted that much, I think. She’s only human.”

She nodded “Then one final question. Nevermind chose to murder in order to escape and betrayed her friend in order to ascertain her family’s safety?  Knowing that Nevermind still loved Hinata as, why did she do it?”

Was that a trick question? “Because-“

“Stop right there!” A new voice resounded across the room

The duo’s eyes trailed to the source and found was a small monochrome-colored animal; too mechanical looking to be real but too animated in its gestures to be fake.

Monokuma…the bear that acted as the headmaster of that insane simulation.

“Uh…hi.  It’s dinner time!”  The bear said bashfully.

What was it still doing here?

He looked to Chisa for the answer.

“It’s not mine.” She shook her head.

“Damn straight!” Monokuma raised its paws.” Mono isn’t some shady two-timer/harem protagonist. Lady Junko is the only one for me.”

This was getting dumb.

“What was that about dinner?” His stomach growled.

“Naegi, you follow him. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.” She said hesitantly.            

"What about you? What'll you be doing?" A part of him hurt when he thought of Chisa being stuck here alone.

"I just need to have a talk with someone. I'll be fine, go have fun."               

Naegi hesitantly nodded and waved goodbye.

He followed the bear downstairs. It was an awkward walk down…and he’d never seen an animal like this so why not try to learn something.

“Uh…Monokuma” He started “Any idea what Chisa was going to ask me? You kind of interrupted…”

“You’ll stop thinking about that right now.” It turned to face him sharply and held both claws in the air. “Maid-tits was about to spoil Arc 3’s premise and we haven’t even _started_ Arc 2 yet. Geez, some people have no respect for linear story progression.”

“I’m not really following.” He rubbed his forehead.

“I know, Hoodie. **_That_** was for our audience, and just like them, _you’ll_ find out in about a dozen or so chapters.”

That was even more confusing but he felt compelled to submit by a powerful, universal, law.

They reached the cafeteria doors. Dread filled Naegi as he pushed through.  The memories of what happened in this place were still with him

“S-She’s not here, is she?” He asked a bit more fearfully than intended

“Who’s not here? She can mean a lot of people.”

It knew full well who he meant.

“Junko.”

“Lady Junko has more important things to do so she won’t be joining us.” The bear sighed and kicked at the floor.

Naegi on the other hand let out a sigh of relief he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Jeez, she messed with your head a little and you’ve got PTSD _already!?_ How’d I get stuck with a sissy like this for a master?”  It spoke

“Master?” Makoto replied

“Yeah, unbelievable right? Even Hoodie #1 had more balls than you and let me tell ya, he was as spineless as they come. Screamed like a _bitch_ too.” It grinned.

“Why am I your master?”

“Because I was ordered to be your escort…why else? Definitely not because of my own free will.” It…pouted.

“You have free-will? Aren’t you a robot?”

“Woah there, S’that Robo-racism I hear? Just because I’m evil doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate bigotry.” Monkuma pointed those sharp claws too closely for his liking

“So you _are_ a robot then?”

“No, that was the old Monokuma. The _new_ me is 100% flesh and blood though I can pull off a few neat tricks.” It said, rubbing its stomach.

“But…you can talk.” Naegi prodded, skeptically. A real talking bear? What idiot would come up with this concept.

“It’s magic, I ain’t  gotta explain shit.”

Makoto scratched his head in frustration. He was too hungry for this and the food sitting on the table looked too good to pass up.

 Luckily for him, it tasted as good too. All of it was enough for a feast. Weird how he was the only one here though.

“Who made this?” Naegi asked.

“I did.”

“I’m surprised you can cook…or reach the stove.”

“I damn sure can, these legs have got Supper elasticity.” He snickered at his terrible joke.

“But let me tell you about rags to riches story, hoodie. Truth to be told, I was born color-blind and I couldn’t tell the spices from the seasoning, from the salt, from the pepper.” He trailed on and on.

“One time I even threw in baking soda in a cake while thinking it was flour. Boy, was that embarrassing.”

He was surprised the bear hadn’t killed somebody with his cooking alone.

“There’s a point to this, right?”

“Rude! Long story short, I asked Lady Junko to get me an extra set of eyes that could actually see for shit. And can you believe it, she said _yes_. Now I’m a first-class chef!”

…What a dumb story.

 Naegi stared at the table and there was still quite a bit of food left. Certainly too much for one person to finish alone. “Is nobody else going to come down?”

“Nope, all of this is for you. Think of it as an apology after all this time and as a token of friendship.” 

Apology? Friendship? Nothing this bear said made sense.

”If we’re friends then you’ll get me out of here, right?” Makoto droned sarcastically.

“WRONG! My Job is to be your escort cuz I ain’t calling myself your butler.  What I _will_ do is follow you places and other stuff. By stuff, I mean feed ya, give you some tips here and there that stop you from fucking up royally.”

Advice? From the enemy? It went without saying that he couldn’t trust this bear, he would just confuse him.  
“Of course, I could also be lying so I guess it’s up to you to figure out which is what. Oh and I’ll be spying on you at all times for Lady Junko.”

“…At all times?”

“All.Of.Em”

“Even when-“

“Yes, even then!”

What happened to my personal privacy?

“Why’s Junko really doing this?” Naegi asked.

It sighed. “Why does She do _anything_ :  for Le despair, kiddo.  Lady Junko thought it’d be fresh to get us handsome guys working together for once…but between you and me, I think she’s nutty as shit.”

Naegi raised an eyebrow at the bear’s dissention.

“You and I had the whole Batman (or is it boy wonda upupupu) and Joker gig going _strong;_ the people love us and heck, they probably even _ship_ _us_ too.” Monokuma said.

“Why would we be on a ship?”

“Just because I’m nutty doesn’t mean I can understand a whole different kind of crazy.  But no joke, you bet your sweet butt a Monoegi fic exists somewhere.”

The bear’s jokes constantly flew over his head; maybe he could ask Chisa later.

“So, when will the next ‘game’ begin?” He was getting tired of this place.

“Whenever you’re ready.” That’s good…he’ll finish this with Junko as soon as possible. Let’s just hope she holds up her end of the deal.

“Got any advice for me on the next game?” Naegi asked the bear.

“…Are you serious?” It just…looked at him. Even with its warped animatronic features, he could tell Monokuma was dumbfounded as if Naegi’d just asked whether 2+2 was 5.

“…Upupupu. Oh man, She is going to eat your inattentive butt for dinner.” It laughed.

Having cleaned up his plate, Makoto stood up and let Monokuma drag him to the theater, which is where the game’s starting point took place, according to the bear.

Speaking of which, even if Monokuma probably couldn’t offer some real help, maybe Naegi could weasel it out of him.

 “Monokuma, do you know of any other way to get out of here?”

“Am I gonna have to make a rule that limits the amount of dumb questions you’re going to throw at me or what?”

“I thought you were supposed to be helping…”

“That _is_ helping. If you stop saying stupid shit, you’ll stop thinking about em too. Maybe that way, you might actually stand a chance against them.”

Them?

“I’ll keep that it mind. Must be tough though, having to deal with a bunch of a teenagers day in and day out. She even made you into my butler. Even I never had something like that back in the real world.” Naegi scratched his chin

“Yeah yeah. I tell ya, I get no friggin respect around here. How’d Mono get demoted from headmaster to janitor?” It pulled off a sad expression pretty well in Makoto’s opinion.

 “I can see that kind of oppression from Junko for sure; in fact I already know more about Junko that I’d like to. What’s the other like? Must be just as bad, huh?” He prodded.

Monokuma nodded vigorously.

“You’re telling me! Izzy’s moody as shit and don’t even get me started on-” Monokuma’s functions stopped and then faced Naegi with a perplexed look on its face.

Which lasted all of a 5 seconds before Monokuma raised its paws to its mouth “Upupupu, reeeeaaal sneaky there, hoodie.”

Makoto sighed. It caught on to him, but he learned a little. There were at least two others.

“See, all I had to do was propose the rule and you’re already learning! If I told you too much, I’d stab ya on impulse.”

Naegi stepped back as Monokuma sharpened its claws.  Those things were dangerously sharp! It could easily…

Hold on. Isn’t there something he hasn’t been considering?

“What happens if I…die here?” _Could_ he die here? He wondered.

“Huh? Figure it out yourself; there are knives in the kitchen if you want a go.”

“Just tell me!”

“Couldn’t even if I wanted to, kid. It’s physically impossible for me or anyone else here.” Makoto knew. It was the same haphazard response and tone Chisa often gave whenever he asked questions she wasn’t allowed to answer.

“Junko again? How the heck does she make you all do this!?”

Monokuma tilted its head again “Think about it. It should come to ya.”

Makoto dropped his hands and wracked his brain for the answer. Somehow, that witch was able to keep tabs on everyone inside the building at all times, and force them into obeying her stupid rules. All of this (supposedly) without blackmail or verbal coercion…

That was impossible for a single person to pull. There couldn’t be a logical explanation behind it…does that mean it’s something illogical? Why not? Absolutely nothing about the past several hours had made any kind of sense. If Makoto couldn’t rationalize Junko’s influence using logic then this has to be one of her weird powers.

“It’s an ability!” He said.

“I wonder. I wouldn’t bet against it in your shoes, kid.” Monokuma answered in a roundabout way.

That made three to four who could do impossible things, including the person on the upper floor the teacher had mentioned and “Izzy.”

“Does everyone here have powers?” He inquired

“t’s rude to speak for others without their permission and Mono is a good bear!”

“…That was an awful pun.” Naegi said flatly.

“Everyone’s a critic.” It frowned

At least it wasn't hurting him. “What’s your power?”

Monokuma pointed a claw to its face. “Me? I guess I don’t mind telling ya since it won’t change anything and I’m impressed you almost managed to trick me.”

Monokuma decided to give him a freebie, right before uttering the most outrageous phrase.

“I can’t die.”

…

“…Come again?”  Makoto was certain he misheard that.

“I mean that literally, I can’t die. Doesn’t matter if you blow me to bits or cut me to shreds, I’ll always come back. That’s because Mono is Despair’s cute and lovable mascot!” It rubbed its stomach and burst out into laughter.

“What does despair have to do with anything?”

“It means that as long as despair exists, I’ll never go away and I mean _never_. **That’s why even my creator, with all that power, no longer has the ability to kill me either**.” It cackled.

That…had frightening implications. But if what Monokuma said is true, that’s an incredible skill to have and Chisa’s wasn’t exactly a slouch either.

Then…maybe “What If I got that same power. Could I leave here?”

Monokuma thought pensively for a few moments.

“Theoretically, I can’t say the odds are impossible.” It concluded before continuing. “What’s it to ya though?”

They neared the giant red doors that led to the theater.

“How can I get one?” He asked, hopefully.

Monokuma stopped right in front of the doors.

“…You’re a riot, kid! I changed my mind. I think I like you better than him.” Monokuma crumpled onto the floor and smacked its paws against the ground. Fake tears leaking out of its eyes.

“How can you get one?” It looked up at him “What I’d like to know is, why would you _want one?_ It totally defeats the point!”

Makoto waited for Monokuma to regain its composure.

“Listen good, hoodie. **Anyone and everyone who has abilities in this place have one thing in common, no exceptions**. And it ain’t because they’re dead neither. You don’t have that, rookie. There’s no chance of you developing anything special and if you did, it’d be no good to you at that point.”

It'd be useless?

“Though if you _did_ get an ability, I think that would be beeeaaary interesting indeed~”  Monokuma’s paws pushed the doors open.

Makoto was re-invited to that gallant space and properly took in its appearance as he journeyed to a seat in the middle. Compared to everywhere he had been in this counterfeit school, the structure, décor and atmosphere of this theater trumped them all. If only he had actually good memories of this place.

“Yooooo, Makoto.” Said a revolting voice that came behind him.

He had no idea when or where she appeared but at this point, it didn’t even matter.

Naegi instinctively backed away from her. His body still responded to the earlier physiological and mental beatings she gave him.

He noticed she still had the eyes of a predator playing with its food.“That’s a good look for you. That scared face is to die for!” Junko Enoshima said.

“I’m not scared!” If he backed down now…

He needed to have courage. He would win this stupid game and never have to see this woman ever again.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said, resolutely.

Junko mockingly shook her head.

“Nice to see you’ve still got some spirit left. This would be boring otherwise.” She directed him to his proper chair in the theater. Naegi looked around for Monokuma and concluded the bear  was nowhere to be found.

How odd.

“You just have to look at the screen until you fall asleep and you’ll be back on the island.” Junko said, seated next to him, much to his discomfort.

“You’re not…going to do something weird to me, right?” He asked, dreadfully. He did NOT want to be asleep near this witch. Not when taking into account her tendencies to be…touchy.

“Hmm~, too bad, I wanted to draw on your sleeping face this time.” She pouted while twirling a black marker around her finger. Was that permanent marker?

 “Fine, I promise. You can always trust a witch.” The chesire grin she gave him couldn’t have made her appear any less trustworthy.

“Let’s get this over with.” He gazed at the large screen counting down.

3…2…1

He fell unconscious at 0

 ---

Monokuma rolled around on Naegi's bed, bored and all on his lonesome for the next little while.

"Maybe I should call it the Monokuma theater for next time. Not like he has a choice upupupu~" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, we're back from hiatus on this story.


	10. L'antipasto / The Appetizer

-June 6th 2012-

“Sakakura, is it?” said a man clad in a silvery-white suit that was only matched by his hair.

“Yo, Kyousuke, thought I’d give my report now; I searched the entire island again, thoroughly.” Juzo Sakakura replied.

The two had embarked on a luxury boat ready to set sail off Jabberwock island.

“And the results?” Kyousuke  Munakata prompted.

“Not a thing.”

“…You needn’t burden yourself over this. It was out of our hands.” What was? He didn’t know.

“This is bullshit. We scoured this damn resort for months and fucking nothing. How could Chisa and all of her brats just up and vanish without a trace!?” Had this not been an unreasonably expensive vehicle, Kyousuke was certain Sakakura would have smashed his fist against something.

Still, the boxer had brought forth a question Munakata had asked himself these past 2 years.

“To make matters worse, Hope’s Peak Academy has suppressed any and all information about the incident. Nobody even knows what happened, not even their families. Those corrupt assholes only give a shit about their reputation.” Sakakura continued.

Some time ago, Munakata would have lamented his friend’s short-sightedness…however there could be no doubt of Hope’s Peak’s corruption. The question now, was how far that corruption spread.

“Sakakura. You miss the point. Do you not find it something amiss anout how we were only given reprieve to search for the missing for just a few months? Covert operations could still be carried out, even during the resort’s openings…” Even rescue ops can take years before evidence was found and nothing suggested She had left the island.

“Yeah I know. Hell, the only reason we could be here was thanks to those brats shitting around the place without a care in the world.”

That was another issue. After a fiasco that could have brought the school to its knees. The Steering committee would send a new class to this island just a mere 2 years later? Strange was an understatement.

“And get this. One of them actually wanted to _see_ you.”

“…What business would those children have with me? Did you question him?”

“Yeah, I asked what he wanted and wouldn’t you know it, **he wasn’t even sure**.”

“…Care to explain?”

“That was about as clear as I could make it. The kid said he just wandered in to the harbor to see you. He had an empty look that creeped me out too, like he was daydreaming or something.” Sakakura crossed his arms.

“…How odd.”

“S’what I said. That’s why I tried to turn him away.”

“Tried?”

“He wasn’t very cooperative. Not like he was talking back but more like he had trouble listening and didn’t budge from his spot. It was pain in the ass but I couldn’t just leave him there all dazed like that; I carried him over to the clinic and put him to bed. “

“I see. That explains your tardiness.”

Sakakura nodded. “I might’ve even stayed until he woke up because surprise-surprise, not a fucking nurse or doctor in sight. I swear, that’s the only time I’ve ever been thankful for old man Kizakura.”

Kizakura...would Kirigiri have sent his right-hand man to this island just to supervise some children?

“Thinking about it now, maybe I should have let you handle things personally.” Sakakura frowned

“You should have. Anything and everything out of the norm was worth investigating.” He was too kind, and that unfortunately led to crucial mistakes.

“What was his name?”

“Uh. I don’t remember. The bubbly brown-haired shorty. Wears a hoodie. Got a very punchable face.”

Makoto Naegi, if Kyousuke’s memory wasn’t failing him. The boy hadn’t expressed an interest in meeting him prior…what changed?

“No matter.  We can simply return here later and address him; their vacation should last until then.”

“What’s stopping us from turning around now? It wouldn’t take _that_ long.”

“Tengan called while you were away.”

Sakakura eyes widened uncharacteristically

“The old man? He dropped off the face of the Earth years ago and nobody’s heard of him since.”

“Yes, not since the disappearance of class 77.”

“…You think there’s a relation?”

“I do not know however, for the headmaster of HPA to vanish at such a crucial period cannot help but raise suspicion.” Kyousuke hoped he was wrong…otherwise the incident might run even deeper than he thought.

“Wait…you said he called. We get signal on this island?”

“No.”

“Then how did the old man speak to you?”

“I do not know how that call came through. All I’m aware of is that Tengan requires my presence.”

“He requested you? Did he say why?” Sakakura inquired.

“Tengan wasn’t the one on the phone. It was his protégé who disappeared along with him.” Regardless, that made his claim of Tengan’s whereabouts credible.

“Protégé?”  Juzo looked deep in thought.

“….Ah I remember now; you’re talking about the dead-eyed freak with only murder on the brain. What was his name? Hiji-something?”  The boxer gave up on recalling what he presumed to be trivial details.

“I tell ya, Kyousuke. There’s something wrong with the heads of those old bastards when they think to invite psychopaths like that guy and Genocider Syo into a school.” Sakakura muttered in disgust for the institution’s shadier side.

Munakata thought it was a natural reaction for one who formerly operated as head of security.

“The message he delivered was rather peculiar; he said Tengan had offered me an executive position in a pet project of his. I am unaware as to the details, merely the name.”

“And that is?”

“…The Future Foundation.”

“…Tacky.” Sakakura commented.

“A title that grandiose couldn’t be considered anything else.” Munakata showed a rare glimpse of amusement…which faded almost instantly.

“…Unless the purpose of this Future Foundation matches its audacious namesake.” For someone with as many ambitions as Kyousuke, this was not an opportunity to pass up. She would have wanted it this way.

This matter required his full attention. Notably Tengan…and perhaps this Makoto Naegi later down the line.

He turned back to face the now distant Jabberwock Island

_Hmm?_

Kyousuke narrowed his eyes and focused on the distance. A large figure was visible in the fog; much too large to be human and it sailed on the sea… it had certainly been a ship of some kind. Kyousuke had blinked and by the time his eyes re-opened, the ship had vanished into thin air.

“Is something wrong?” His friend asked.

“Did you see a ship there?”

Juzo looked behind him and raised an eye brow.

…

“Uh, Kyousuke? Not sure how to put this but last I checked, my eyes and ears weren’t shot – if there was a ship around, I’d notice. “

Perhaps Sakakura was right and his eyes deceived him. It wasn’t uncommon to be susceptible to optical illusions in times of stress…and the mist was quite thick.

Perhaps even thick enough for something to hide in.

\---

“Look who’s awake?” A voice greeted Makoto as he stirred from a deep sleep.

“Mister Kizakura…what am I doing here?”

“Beats me, all I know is what Juzo told me - that you were sleepwalking around the island. You could stand to be more careful.” The teacher took a sip out of his flask and leaned against his chair.

“But who’d have thought Juzo was such a wuss on the inside. The look on his face when I caught him was worth every second of having to babysit you.”

“Sleepwalking, that doesn’t sound like me.” He was more the type who’d have difficulty getting _out_ of bed.

Kizakura shrugged “Like I said, beats me. Juzo could have been up to something shady or just mistook the situation.  Now why don’t you get out of bed before the others start worrying, my dear class mascot.”

The “class mascot” was an “affectionate” term Kizakura had given Naegi; the moniker was intended to symbolize his role as a centerpiece among class 78. Naegi wasn’t very fond of the name, as he wasn’t one to consider himself special either. On the other hand, Kizakura was an eccentric teacher who had no qualms picking favorites among students – his criteria usually involving who can amuse him most at a given time. For that reason, he, Kyouko and Hiro often scored at the top…although the latter definitely didn’t seem to mind.

“Now that you’re awake, I think I’ll be off. There’s gotta be something more fun to do around here.”

“W-wait, you don’t have to leave yet.” Makoyo spluttered

It wasn’t clear why he said that. Right now, his head was a mess of thoughts yet a powerful compulsion allowed those words to wade through the clutter and reach the surface.

The source of that urge…came from a gripping emotion the luckster couldn’t quite place. It was a void left by Kizakura’s absence that was triggered when the teacher suddenly announced his departure.

“Uh...kinda putting me on the spot here, Naegi. Even I’m not buying that you’re afraid to stay by yourself, you’re not _that_ lame.”

“Or is there something dangerous about me leaving?” Kizakura lightly tipped his fedora and gazed at Naegi with an inexplicable gleam in his eye

 “I…don’t know.” Makoto said, lamely.

“Hmm, maybe Juzo might have been right to be worried. Let’s just hope you didn’t catch anything as the next best thing we have to a doctor here is Chihiro.” Kizakura said with  a finger across the chin.

“Tell you what. Try and get some sleep and I’ll send some of the others to visit you, real soon.”

Kizakura reached for the door handle. As soon as the knob turned, a group of curious students fell out onto the floor in a pile.

Kizakura stared at them blankly and then turned back to Naegi “…Well you can’t say I’m not a man of my word.”

He stepped over the pile of shamed teenagers and left the room.

“…What are you guys doing?” Naegi asked as the others scrambled off the floor.

“Nothing much.” “Ah well, you know.” “I followed everyone else here.” Were the varied excuses used until the majority, without verbal communication, unanimously settled on one.

“It was Hiro’s fault, so he’ll explain.” Makoto was almost impressed at their chorus’ synchronicity.

“Traitors!” The horrified fortune-teller exaggerated. To whom he referred were Hina, Touko, Sayaka and Celes

“Bah. I had a bad premonition about you in my crystal ball and though to check the clinic. The TRAITORS followed me here.” He emphasized the derogatory term for the others and glared at them.

“That’s your excuse for eavesdropping?” Makoto frowned

Celestia wiped the dirt off her skirt and showed a wry smile.

“Hufufu…I see right through you, Naegi. It’s adorable how you think you can hide your embarrassment behind faux disappointment. I wonder when you and Kizakura got so close.”

“We’re not!” The voice crack probably hadn’t made things convincing.

“Then what was your problem with his departure?” Celes pressed him.

“I...I don’t know. It just came out.”

“Hmm…you don’t appear to be lying.”

How she was able to tell when he lied creeped him out. A guy needs his secrets.

“D-Don’t joke around like that.” Touko addressed the gambler “There’s no way someone like Naegi could ever succeed at having an illicit affair with a teacher.

“Thanks, Touko…I think.”

“Besides, I-I’m sure ****’s more his speed.” The writer salivated as she locked herself up in her delusions.

Hina looked torn between agreeing with the author and not standing out whereas the others gazed upo  the entranced Touko with varying levels of disgust and exasperation; it wasn’t their first rodeo with the easily elated writer coming to wild conclusions.

“Well, I actually was joking…but thanks for taking it a mile further than intended.” Celes caressed her forehead.

“Seriously, we’re just friends. Sheesh, damn you’re creepy.”

“Don’t bully Touko, guys!” Hina interjected, never one to stand down when others were ganged up on.

“I-I don’t need you to defend me, B-Balloon bags.” And Touko was never one to accept kindness without being skeptic of ulterior motives…and yet it turns out the writer was even more disturbed when she was certain there weren’t any.

“ I was just trying to help.” Hina snapped.

The two started bickering before Sayaka separated them.

“Even if there’s nobody here…we’re still in a hospital.” Sayaka said.

“Nobody? What about shrimpy over there? We don’t even know what’s wrong with him.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Hiro agreed “Well, what’d you come down with, Naeggs? A fever?”

Sayaka made her way over to his bed and pressed her palm against forehead.

“Looks that way; his forehead is burning.” The idol frowned as she made her deductions.

The others were slightly frantic

“It’d be great if we had a cute nurse or something.”

“Most people who don’t think with their lower regions would consider a _doctor_ to be more preferable.” Celes chided ****

“A hot lady doctor then.”

“Come on guys, you’re scaring him. And he doesn’t look that bad to me…a bit dazed maybe.” Hina intervened.

“Yeah, my thoughts are just a big foggy. I’m sure I’ll get over it once I get some sleep.” Makoto said.

“I’m not sure… you didn’t show any signs of being sick yesterday night but the fever is pretty bad.” Sayaka’s pensive expression didn’t let up. She knew a thing or two about medicine and how to avoid situations like this.

“And yet, there is nothing any of us can do. Rather than stir up worry, it would be best just to let him lie down and someone (other than me obviously) can bring Makoto his meals.” Celes advised.

Sayaka begrudgingly nodded her head.

\---

Naegi opened his eyes. The fog and heaviness that clouded his head having diminished. Now they had been replaced by lethargy and strained bones.

He wanted to get up…

That was when Naegi noticed a surprising sight; the Togami heir sat cross-legged on a nearby chair, engrossed in the book he was reading.

“Togami?” He said, drawing the heir’s attention to him.

“Well Well Well, look who finally decided to grace me with his wake. You ought to relish this experience. A commoner like you was given the honor of being the third person Byakuya Togami has ever waited on.” Togami replied.

 “Were you watching over me?”

“Yes. Those miscreants told everyone of your condition, prompting Ishimaru to come up with the oh-so---brilliant idea of making us look after you in shifts – one hour for each of us.”

_Oh…he’d have to thank Taka later._

“How long was I asleep?”

“I’m the 14th so take a wild guess; simple math shouldn’t be beyond you.” Togami said, dispassionately.

_Then it was practically morning already…_

“You should be honored to take up 55 minutes of my irreplaceable time. Some world-renowned CEOs wouldn’t even get half that much.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get in the way.” Taka must have forced him into this.

“Hmpf. Forget it, as impossible as it sounds, I could have spent my time even more wastefully today.” He said, returning to the novel he was reading

Naegi squinted to read the title “Gone Guy?”

“Hm?”  Togami raised an eyebrow and then looked back to his book when he caught onto the luckster’s outburst. “Oh…what of it?”

“Is it good?” Makoto asked curiously.

“Phlinn’s novel is passable.” He said before forming his signature smirk “In truth, I read this for the sole purpose of seeing how it compared to the classics…and as expected, The Accolades by Christine is far superior.”

Makoto sweatdropped and wondered if Togami realized how petty he sounded sometimes.

“Why the sudden curiosity in my hobbies? Don’t tell me you’re interested in reading. I’ve never taken you for the learned type.”

“Hey, I read too.” Naegi tried to defend himself

“Picture books and alike don’t count.” Togami countered splendidly

“Uh…not so much then…hehe” He finished lamely.

Togami sneered in abject disgust at his concession and then shook his head.

“Better you didn’t actually. If I started seeing signs of intellect and class from you, then I’d be forced to admit the others were right to be worried and you _really do_ have one dire illness. Start quoting Nietzsche and _I’ll_ be the one who needs to see a doctor.”

“It’s nothing bad. I feel much better already.” Naegi said.

“Perfect. That means I don’t have to stick around much longer.” He returned to his reading…and that’s when Naegi noticed

“Eh? Togami, what about your glasses?” The affluent progeny was rarely…actually, never seen without his glasses. Makoto believed they were essential to Togami’s sight.

“…What _about_ them?”

“It’s just…you never take off your glasses, not even during PE. I kind of thought you needed them.” Yet here he was reading just fine without them.

“That’s on you for presuming to know _anything_ of Byakuya Togami. We live in two different worlds, don’t you understand that yet?” He referred to himself in the third person

…It was a rather splendid way of dodging the question completely.

“I didn’t mean to pry. It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.” 

 “These glasses are merely for show…”

The door suddenly burst open, revealing a familiarly small frame.

“Uh, Togami. I’m here for my shift.” Chihiro said, looking like he’d run a marathon. “Eh, Makoto’s awake?”

“Indeed he is, and _I_ was just leaving.”

The heir stood off the sole seat in the room and made his way to the exit.

Makoto and Chihiro watched him leave before turning their attention to one another.

To say the programmer looked exhausted was an understatement. He should be the one asleep right now.

“Chihiro…you’re last?”

“Y-yeah, sorry. I was really busy with project and I begged Taka to let me go last.” The boy stuttered

“Must be reaaaally important.” Makoto teased him.

“It is. The board told me that I-If I can complete it then that would fill my exams quota for the rest of the year and would give me full backing on any position I apply for when I graduate.” Chihiro evidently took it seriously.

“W-Wow, that sounds amazing. What’s the project on?”

“I can’t just _tell_ you that. It’s supposed to be a secret. Not even Mister Kizakura’s allowed to know the details.”

“Come on, it’s me. I won’t tell anyone~”

Chihiro looked skeptical. Why? He could totally keep a secret.

“Too bad, since it’s apparently soooo impressive, I might just spend the whole night thinking about what it could be.” Makoto said, dramatically.

“Then I wouldn’t be able to get any sleep and my fever would get worse. Who knows? Maybe something even worse could happen~”

“I-I don’t want that!” Once again, Chihiro had taken him seriously.

“I was joking. I think I’m curious by nature.”

“Even so…I guess it couldn’t hurt to give you a hint. I told you about what the board promised me right?”

Makoto noticed.

“I went to take a look at ‘it’ today and I realized the technology I’m working with is very advanced.  I’ve seen some of the best computerized tech in the world but this was incredible even by comparison.  If I’m successful then it might even revolutionize the world.”

To be honest, he now had less of an idea of what the programmer could be up to than before.

 “Doesn’t that mean you’re getting ripped off? If it’s so world-class then you should get a lot more than a pass on your exams and recommendations.” Chihiro was brilliant in many ways but Makoto had a distinct feeling street-smarts weren’t the programmer’s forte. The last thing he wanted was to see Chihiro get ripped off by a bunch of stingy old guys.

“Disregarding whether they _would_ try that, I don’t think that’s an issue. If anything, they might be a little generous. Even though I’m technically the one working on the project, I feels like I’m just putting the finishing touches on ‘it’.  Most of the work has already been done, which is why I think whoever created all that machinery has to be a genius.”

“If you think so then they have to be.” Makoto agreed. Strangely enough, Chihiro didn’t appear satisfied with his conclusion.

“…Don’t you think what I just said is a little weird?”

“Why?”

“Uh, I don’t mean to brag or anything…but whenever I make something, I feel a lot of pride in my achievement. So much that I wouldn’t want _anyone_ complicating my creations until I’m sure it’s working efficiently. I’m really strict on that end.”

Understandable. Nobody wants their efforts to be wasted or succeeded by someone they’ve never even met.

“I think the creator must be different.  He’s made something that great but he’s not even here to supervise its completion, especially in the hands of someone who wasn’t even part of the initial development? How weird is that?”

“Maybe he got fired.” Makoto took a shot in the dark.

“Be serious, Naegi. If Hope’s Peak fired someone with that much talent then they’d be _idiots_.”

Chihiro was right…and besides, Hope’s Peak cared about talent more than anything else. That was a stupid suggestion on his part.

“I can’t really think of anything without jumping to conclusions.” There was one option he guessed but that was a bit morbid to think about.

“More importantly, are you alright staying there by yourself? What if you get injured? Maybe you should have Mondo go there with you.”

Chihrio looked to be considering Makoto’s proposition.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t do any heavy-lifting, just calibrating and working on computers; not much different than what I’d do here, really. Honestly, the worst part is the air over there.”

Makoto laughed “Yeah, the last island _is_ kinda bad.” Considering all the industrial facilities, that much couldn’t be helped. Frankly, it was a testament to Jabberwock Island’s upkeep that the air wasn’t toxic.

“Hey Chi-“ A soft thud and heaviness on his legs cut him off

Makoto looked to his legs  and found Chihiro to be fast asleep.

The luckster chuckled

_Wasn’t I the one who was supposed to be looked after?_

_\---_

Makoto traversed his way back to the first island. He doubted anyone else would be awake at this hour so maybe a walk would do him some good. If nothing else, he could grab a snack from the supermarket.

At least that was the intention until he was captivated by the sound of an alluring voice from the distance. That alone meant the owner wasn’t far away.

He followed the sound of the voice until he arrived at the clearing on the first island’s beach. It was the very first spot Makoto stepped on when the class got to the island.

 Ryouko stood in the middle of the beach, gazing at the moon and singing an unfamiliar tune. If he could have compared the sight to anything, it’d be a wandering traveler laying eyes on a beautiful siren.

He wanted to reveal himself…but he also feared that Ryouko might stop singing if he did. She really was _that_ good.

Of course,  being the ultimate lucky student that he was, he stepped on a tree branch laying by the sand; the snap was loud enough to signal his presence.

As expected, the singing stopped immediately and Makoto looked up to see cold blue eyes staring back at his from the distance.

“Who’s there?” The amnesiac called to him in a voice devoid of emotion.

“M-Me. Makoto…Naegi” He announced, dumbly.

“Impossible. The Makoto I know wouldn’t creep on a girl in the night. You must be an imposter. Go on and admit it. I’ll even praise you for pulling off that stupid bed-head of his so nicely. ”

“It’s not stupid! And it’s not bed-head, I comb it every day!”

“…Ah, it is you. I can’t think of anyone else who could defend that hair and lie so blatantly about it.”

“You’re just messing with me…aren’t you?” Makoto frowned.

“Hehehe.” The analyst snickered, much to Makoto’s chagrin.

He wanted to change the topic as fast as possible.

 “I didn’t know you could sing. That was pretty good”

“Uh, thanks. Doesn’t mean I’ll drop you creeping on me.” Apparently, she wasn’t about to let him.

“I wasn’t!”

“Sure, sure.  Is it ok for you to be out of bed though?”

“Yeah, I left Chihiro there. He really looked like he needed the sleep…and I kind of didn’t.”

“Chihiro huh….say, let’s pull a prank on him while he’s sleeping. Like draw on his face or splash water on him.”

“Absolutely not.” Makoto vehemently refused “…Oi, you better not tell me you got any ideas like this when I was asleep.” Suddenly, he felt very self-conscious.

“Me? No way.” Her eyes didn’t meet his as she said that.

“…Look me in the eye when you say that.”

“Geez, what’s with these totally unwarranted accusations against me? I’m the picture of mild-mannered and goodness! Just ask Taka.”

“You think Taka will have your back?” He raised her eyebrow

Ryouko brought a hand to her chest as a gesture of pride. “Of course he will. Just earlier today, he complimented me on my selfless conduct.”

Selfless conduct…like hell was he buying that.

“You and selflessness mix like water and oil..”

“It’s true. Instead of everyone looking after you in shifts, I offered to watch over you all day!”

“Eh? R-really?” He stammered.

“Yup, but seeing as how you’re a total bully today. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.” She pouted

“But you all decided to work shifts anyway?”

“Not my fault. The others wanted a turn too…vultures always getting in the way.” She muttered.

Makoto laughed.

“What’re you smiling for?” Ryouko’s eyes narrowed.

“Nothing much…I’m just glad I have such caring friends…” He scratched his cheek.

The amnesiac gave him a disgusted expression not unlike Togami’s earlier one. Did he have a tendency to make people react this way?

Ryouko’s discontent soon gave way to a malicious smirk

“Weeell, I don’t know about the others but I read an interesting book a while back on hypnotic suggestion. If I’d been given the full day, I planned on whispering a few choice words into your ear and seeing if your thought patterns changed when you woke up. Too bad I only got an hour…now I can’t tell if **it** worked.” Her smirk widened

“Y-You’re joking right?” He reddened as he brought his hands to his both ears.

“You’re free to think that if ya want.” She smiled confidently.

“I knew it. Selfless, my butt!”  Makoto pointed at her.

“Serves you right.” She smiled in content and came towards him. To Makoto’s mild surprise, she didn’t stop and moved by him, heading to the way he came.

“Where are you going?” He asked

“Breakfast at the hotel.” Was the girl’s response.

“Hey wait up.” He ran to catch her.

“’I’m glad I have such caring friends?’Ugh, how can he say something so embarrassing out loud?” Ryouko muttered under her breath.

-Byakuya Togami-

At this rate, he would be forced to wander the entire island aimlessly.

Byakuya Togami sat, legs dangling on the edge of a cliff, where the roaring tides could be heard from meters below.  It was the farthest location on the 5th/final island, which was also happened to be the highest place on the island.

So much as a misstep from his position would send him falling to the sea and to a silent end.

He snickered

 The very notion of his mortality wasn’t even worth thinking about; only idiots spend the time they have alive ruminating over the possibility they could die tomorrow

That’s why Byakuya Togami wasn’t one to waste a second of his day, that way there are no regrets when that time comes.

Honestly, what a bothersome ordeal this was. He’d rather be somewhere more productive; lazing around like this was not his idea of a…vacation, was it?

Either way, Byakuya wasn’t lying when he told Naegi he could have spent his time even more wastefully.

_Naegi huh._

 His thoughts reverted to the brief discussion he’d had with the lucky student.

Byakuya took off his glasses and delicately held them between his fingers

“Yes they are certainly for show…but they are also an important reminder for me.” Byakuya said to no one.

He merely tucked the glasses into his pocket and brought his gaze up to the full moon.

“Now then…what will I choose?”

\---

“Taka…I need you to answer me honestly right now?” Makoto said, his formerly clean clothes now burnt after the ordeal. Ryouko was lying down next to him unconscious and in a similar state of dress.

The two stood outside the cottages and near the hotel, where a bright orange light could be seen from the upper floor building.

“What would you like to know, Makoto?”  The Ultimate Moral Compass addressed him casually and without a hint of regret of regret for his actions.

“…Why did you try to kill us?” Makoto glared at him.

Kiyotaka met his glare with a steely gaze. The two were frozen in that position for some time; standing off  against one another in silence.

And then…

“DON’T BE RIDICULOUS!” He yelled, pointing his finger at the luckster.  “Even if I may have made a few mistakes in my attempt at making breakfast, that’s no reason to charge me for attempted manslaughter.”

“A few mistakes!? We’re lucky the whole restaurant didn’t burn down! Even Ryouko passed out!” Makoto shot back.

Kiyotaka froze at the accusations made against him.

“I…must apologize; I overstepped my own capabilities.” He said.

“Understatement of the year! Why would you even cook anything when we already have meals prepared?” Makoto wasn’t done shouting just yet.

“Those have  preservatives, Makoto. They’re not healthy...although from observing _your_ eating habits, you may not know much about healthy eating.” Taka rolled his eyes

“Don’t put this on me. My diet is just fine.” Yeah, chips and soda weren’t that bad for you…weekly…daily.

Taka looked unconvinced…

“Okay, you might have a point. I may not be the best eater but that’s not an excuse for _this_.” Makoto pointed to the restaurant

“Why did she faint anyway? “ The compass inquired. The two boys inspected Ryouko’s form and found her breathing regularly.

“She seems fine…I don’t think there was enough smoke to cause that kind of reaction; maybe she just doesn’t like fire.” Makoto deduced. Ryouko had poor resistance to just about anything because the girl always chose to avoid _everything_ that might seem stressful or unsafe. It’s no wonder she’d react this way.

He sighed

Not like he had any medical expertise. It begged the question as to why there wasn’t any medical staff on this island. It didn’t sound very safe to him.

Makoto and Taka looked towards the upper floors from outside the building and found that smoke was no longer seeping out and the sprinklers had stopped running.

“Want to check it out?” Makoto asked. ‘It’ being the mess that was probably left there now.

“It would only be appropriate…but what shall we do with Ryouko?” Taka said, reluctantly.

Leaving her out here wasn’t in question and he didn’t feel right about returning the girl to her cottage. Taka likely thought the same which was why he didn’t suggest it himself. The moral compass was never one to discount the safety of others

“Ah, we can just take her to Ikusaba. That’s surely the proper way to handle things.” The compass clapped his hands together.

His own safety was evidently another story.

“Taka…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Is that so?”  “I thought it was a fabulous plan myself, where do you find fault?”

“Ikusaba is…very protective of Ryouko, you’ve seen it right?”

“Yes…I believe I’ve so.”

“Okaaay, now what do you think is going to happen if we bring Ryouko like that and tell her what happened?”

“I assume she wouldn’t take it very well…but what does that have to do with taking the proper course of action?”

Makoto sighed heavily.

“Ikusaba will kill you.” Not literally of course (probably) but _Taka_ would be the one needing a hospital room if Makoto didn’t stop him.

“…Makoto, pardon me if I’ve misunderstood but…surely you’re not suggesting that I would abandon one of my classmates out of some trivial, private fear.”

As usual, Kiyotaka was never one to prioritize self preservation or common sense when it came to his philosophical views; that being to never stray off the ‘right’ path. To the ultimate moral compass, everything was as black and white as his appearance.

It was an admirable trait that the entire class couldn’t help but respect…however, Makoto had always felt Taka had let himself miss out on a lot because of his rigid values.

People weren’t _built_ to do the right thing all the time. Take for example how humans often tell lies to protect their loved ones; those white lies aren’t _good_ per say but the flexibility of knowing when they should be used is necessary.

You wouldn’t get anywhere thinking so narrow-mindedly and it was more likely he’d be taken advantage of.  If  Taka kept up like this then he would definitely live a life filled with adversity…and that was worrying.

However, was it right for him to challenge the beliefs Taka held so dearly, especially ones so righteous? The hall monitor undoubtedly had far greater convictions than something an average person like himself could dream of. There was no way Makoto could ever convince him otherwise, there wasn’t even a need to try.

That’s why everyone often had to circumvent Taka’s logic rather than confront it outright.

“Not exactly. I was just thinking that we probably shouldn’t stress Ikusaba out.”  He said. “All we _need_ is for someone to look after Ryouko right? We’ll just bring her with us…it’s _our_ fault for Ryouko fainting anyway. Don’t you always say we should take responsibility for our actions?”

“Er…but this is all _my_ fault not ours. Doesn’t that mean the responsibility falls on _my_ shoulders?”

“We’re sharing responsibility now.” Makoto stopped him. “Besides, you know what my life is like. Seeing as I got caught up in the (near) fire, the whole debacle could have been a result of my bad luck.”

“That’s something of a stretch…but I can see your point…and I am glad that you’d side with me on this.”

“No problem. Let’s bring her with us and see if we can clean up.”

He motioned and found the girl was surprisingly heavy. He could barely lift her off the ground. Makoto looked back to the moral compass and found him sporting an unimpressed expression.

 “…Don’t say it.” Makoto warned. His ire largely overshadowed by embarrassment.

“We’ll need to get you in the gym in addition to that diet.”

Makoto glared. He just hoped they’d be done before breakfast…or before anyone saw them.

\---

Surprisingly, the upper floor of the hotel hadn’t been _too_ bad. The sprinklers had mostly stopped the fire in the kitchen whereas the lunchroom was just wet. They had some spare cloths laying around so that didn’t take too much time. The kitchen itself on the other hand was a disaster.

The cleaning materials they had there wasn’t strong enough to remove the blacker stains and soot. Several items, utensils and supplies needed to be disposed of right out; most of those included actual _food_.

That alone had taken them roughly an hour.

“What are you guys doing?” Hina said, catching them in the middle of covering their mess.

“ Hina…um…spring cleaning?” Makoto lied.

“Was there a fire?” Sakura said, sniffing the air.

“There totally was, I’ve seen Yuuta nearly burn the house down lots of times and I know that smell anywhere.”

He shouldn’t have gotten out of bed…

Naegi and Ishimaru explained their circumstances. There wasn’t much to tell as the ordeal could be summed up in a few words: Neither of them had any cooking experience.

“You blockheads.” Hina yelled. “You could have at least waited for us before you went through with it. That was the plan, Taka.”

“Plan?” Makoto tilted his head.

“Well yeah. Since you got sick all of a sudden, Taka suggested we have healthier meals to strengthen our immune system. I was all for it but I didn’t think he’d start this soon and with no experience to boot!”

Really? They did that for him? The thought made him feel happy…and a bit guilty for yelling so much at Taka now…

“I agree with Hina. Why did you not wait for us, Kiyotaka?” Sakura interjected.

The accused folded his arms and sighed “I am ashamed to admit it…but I was bored and nobody else was awake. I thought I might as well get a head start.”

Well, he could understand the sentiment.

“So who here even knows how to cook?” Makoto asked. From the sounds of it, they were either below average or better at less healthier foods.

“I believe Togami to be the best in the class.” Sakura said.

The rest of them had a difficult time processing that interesting bit of information.

“Uh, Sakura. I trust you and all…but I really can’t picture that jerk stepping anywhere near a kitchen unless it’s to trash-talk the chef.” Hina commented.

“I don’t know if I’d put it that way but I would have to agree with Hina. Togami doing any sort of physical labor is very unlikely.” Kiyotaka added

Naegi would probably have joined their assumptions but he remembered Togami once saying he excelled in multiple fields outside of drowning in wealth. But it probably wouldn’t help Togami’s case if Makoto also told them the Progeny also referred to himself as “ _The Ultimate Perfection_.”

“I speak the truth…although I’m not surprised you would doubt me. I may not have believed it myself had I not caught him one day in the Food and nutrition room back at the academy.”

“Alone? How suspicious.” Ishimaru said. The hall monitor knew he was the last person who should be talking right now, in Makoto’s honest opinion.

Hina nodded “Maybe he’s embarrassed. This could be good dirt, tell us  more Sakura!”

Makoto, Kiyotaka and Sakura gave the swimmer disappointed glances.

“I fear I may not approve of your intentions, Hina.” Taka admonished her.

“Don’t you start when we _all_ know that jerk needs to be knocked down a peg.”  The tanned girl glared.

Sakura shook her head while Makoto scratched his. Hina was correct in the sense that Togami’s ego could be a bit overbearing at times. Togami’s pride had ticked a lot of them off at first (himself included), they now thought it was sort of the heir’s charm.

Hina was among the few left in the class who hadn’t moved past Togami’s put-downs which he thought was pretty strange given she  was only beaten by _Hiro_ as the most easygoing person Makoto had ever met.

 “Be that as it may, I doubt Togami would be ashamed for any of you to learn of this detail…and if it was a secret that he would rather not be made public, _I_ certainly would not have told a soul.” Sakura frowned at Hina’s conduct as she spoke, causing the swimmer to lower her head down, crestfallen.

“What makes you think Togami’s okay with us knowing?” Didn’t sound like a big deal to him.

“Hmm. From what I recall, the ordeal took place not long after our first meeting. I had just finished my daily training and was looking for supplements to consolidate muscle growth. That was when I happened upon Togami.”

\---

_“Who’s there?” A bespectacled youth spoke harshly._

_“There is no cause for alarm.” Sakura introduced herself, puzzled at why this one would be alone here. Then again, he had given the impression of one who prefers isolation. What he was doing here, was another matter._

_“Oh? I wasn’t under the impression skulking in the shadows fit your style, brute.”_

_“I shall make no excuses. However, I would say the same of you. Given your countenance, I would think making your own meals would be beneath someone of your status.”_

_“Hahaha, quite an amusing joke. And what would you know of status?” He smirked._

_“While I know little in the way of finance, I am the heir to a martial arts dojo that has strived for centuries, undisturbed by flow of time.”_

_The affluent progeny frowned. “That’s all you have to compare with? Get lost. I’ve no time for you.”_

_…That was something she could not take lying down_

_“You would be wise not to challenge my credentials. An insult to my person is trivial, an insult to my succession or my art is spitting on the history marked by all who came before me.” The ogre let out a menacing aura “And I will not take that lightly, Togami.”_

_Upon hearing the figter’s proclamation, the blonde’s amused expression returned in full-force._

_“So you would resort to violence, merely because I don’t agree with your views?” He mocked her_

_“No. Should you choose to step on the basis of my pride, my combat prowess... then I will be left with no choice but to make you acknowledge me using everything I have learned from it. I am sure you would do the same; were someone to accost the worth of your talent, how else would you counter but to crush those false beliefs under the weight of that which they wrongly disparaged?”_

_The heir was silent for a brief moment._

_"Good answer. No, it was almost perfect; I'm quite pleased not all of you are purposeless garbage.  Although, you’re still off the mark. ”_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow_

_“You mock me by asserting I am on the same playing field as the rest of you. Prove them wrong with my talent, you say? Which talent would you be referring to?  Unlike the rest of you, I am not limited to a single spectrum of success for there is nothing in the world that Byakuya Togami does not excel at.”_

_It would appear there were no limits to his arrogance. Interesting, perhaps it would be a worthwhile venture to test just how much of Togami’s words could be backed._

_“Then I’m sure you must have some physical skill. If your words are true then indulge me in a spar; I have been searching for a worthwhile partner thus far.” His personality could use work however if his actions were nearly as adept as his boasts then they would more than compensate._

_“Play your game? No, I don’t think I have any intention of getting myself dirty right before a meeting I’m short on time so we’ll settle it with this.” Togami motioned to a plate by his side._

_“Steak Tartare, is the name. You said cooking was unbefitting of my status. You’d be right, I have servants to do that for me and Aloysius would be most displeased if he were to find me lowering myself to their level.” He frowned._

_“That’s why this should make a perfect test; to prove that something so out of my depth can be grasped with effort. Eat it.” He demanded_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“I don’t see an issue here. Judging from your state, I can only assume you just finished weight-training. An athlete like yourself will consider eating next to build muscle right? Consider yourself honored that I have chosen to lend a hand at this convenient time.”_

_Sakura shook her head. “I’m afraid I must decline.”_

_“Your reason?”_

_“You’ve caught me at a similarly bad time. I’ve recently decided to abstain from overly dense foods for the next while.”_

_“A lighter diet is it?” Togami clicked his tongue_

_“Wait here. I’ll only be a few minutes.” He declared, before rummaging through the kitchen supplies._

_“Are you not busy?” Sakura inquired._

_“That can wait. I am not one to pass up a chance to prove my superiority and that isn’t starting now.”_

_At the very least, he was dedicated. That was more than the martial artist could say for most._

_The heir returned 30 minutes later with a new dish._

_“Risotto cacciatore. Healthier and easier on digestion but should still be enough to soothe your palette.”_

_“I have never heard the name. Is it foreign?”_

_“To you, yes. But never mind that and please, help yourself.”_

_Sakura indulged herself on the plate and before she knew it, the contents were gone._

_“Well what do you say?”_

_“Excellent.” She admitted. “I do not believe I’ve had such an impressive meal as long as I can remember.”_

_He laughed and took a seat opposite from her “That’s what I like to hear.  And Aloysius tells me the culinary arts are a waste of time. That goes to show wisdom doesn’t always correlate with experience.”_

_“You’ve mentioned that name before; would this Aloysius happen to be your father.” Sakura could never imagine calling her father by his given name but her customs didn’t necessarily apply to others…_

_“Ha! He may as well be. As far as I’m concerned, Aloysius is worth more.” Togami turned his head in disdain._

_“I take it you do not get along with them.”_

_“…I don’t know myself.”_

\---

_Italian cuisine?_

“Ha! I bet he wanted to impress you by being all fancy.”  Hina said.

“No, that actually makes sense. Togami is half-Italian after all.” Taka clarified.

“Really?” I figured Togami was mixed-blood but I wouldn’t have guessed Italian, how did Taka know that?

“I don’t know that much about them but I _am_ aware that the Togami practice breeding with foreigners. Togami’s school records have his biography. Actually, that’s about the _only_ worthwhile information his records _did_ contain. The Togami group is secretive; despite their repute, barely anything about them is known. As  theycan’t exactly hide their appearances, anyone would notice foreign genes - I’m guessing that’s why this particular detail wasn’t worth hiding in the first place” He finished.

“Y-You have access to our _records_?” Hina said frightened.

Why the exaggerated reaction? Makoto didn’t think that was out of the ordinary. He would have thought she’d be miffed at how there was barely any dirt on her proclaimed rival.

 “Of course! It’s my duty and obligation as the class representative to know which of my classmates are in need of guidance.”

“B-But-“

“Hina.” Sakura silenced the swimmer. “Kiyotaka, I would like to speak with you later about this matter. In private.” She addressed the moral compass, who nodded with a confused expression.

 “Uh guys, back to the problem?” He needed to get this train back on track “Sakura, did anything else happen with Togami? Anything that might give you the impression he’d help us out is fine.”

“Hmm, it would appear that cooking is a persistent hobby for him. The both of us came to an agreement that would meet  once a month. I would be treated to gourmet cuisine and serve as a taste-tester for him.”

Makoto really couldn’t picture the heir enjoying something like that. It just didn’t match his preconceptions.

“Every month!?” Hina yelled, apparently having greater difficulty at accepting Sakura’s words.

“Yes. Is that an issue?”

“Of course it is. You’ve been meeting with the enemy for who knows how long!”

Considering Sakura said this was shortly after their introduction to Hope’s Peak, she and Togami had been  in contact as long as the girls had known each other, If not longer.

Hina probably wouldn’t take that well so it was probably better to keep quiet about it.

“And worse, you’ve practically been at a free high-class buffet. How could you not invite your best friend?”

“…Because I knew you would react this way.” Sakura started “ Hina, I do not believe you and Togami are yet capable of civil conversation;  a verbal  dispute would ensue in minutes and Togami would simply _leave_. I planned to invite you at some point in the hopes that one day the two of you would reach an understanding…however…”

Yeah. Makoto didn’t see that happening any time soon either.

Hina crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. “Maybe if he wasn’t so mean all the time, I’d be a little nicer too.”

“…More to the point, I do not believe Togami would instruct either of us. He seemed adamant against it when I asked for pointers. If I recall, his exact words were...”

_“Rejected. I have absolutely nothing to gain from teaching. If you want to improve then do what I did and read the world-class encyclopedia on the culinary arts. If you can afford one, that is.”_

 “Not like we’d find something like that here…or in Japan. How much would that even cost?”

“I asked Chihiro to search it on the internet for me as I lack the skill. He told me, it cost a little over a million.” Sakura frowned.

“That’s my living expenses for like a year.” Hina interjected however Sakura shook her head.

“I think she means _dollars_ , Hina. Not yen. That’s more than you’ll make in decades.” A voice said and Sakura nodded. The others quieted down, entrenched in their own stupefaction.

“That’s a bit much for a book…hehe.” Makoto scratched his chin before his eyes widened

“Wait, who said that?” He looked to find Ryouko yawning behind him.

 “Ryouko, you’re awake.” That was something to be thankful for.

“Yeah, just in time to be reminded of how hopeless Byakun is.”  She shrugged.

“Anyway, it doesn’t really matter if he has to teach you. We’ve barely got any food left thanks to _somebody.”_ She pouted in Taka’s direction. The hall monitor averted his eyes.

“If Byakun doesn’t want to starve then he’ll _have_ to cook.” That was sound logic. According to Sakura, Togami didn’t like teaching, not serving….okay that didn’t sound right either.

“And if he doesn’t. I’ll just help out.” She offered

“Eh? _You_ know how to cook?” He couldn’t imagine that one bit. He was surprised Ryouko could even put on her own clothes. He didn’t want to say one of his best friends was an airhead…but she was pretty close.

“Not sure I approve of that tone…but yes. I mean, not like Muku can. If I let her anywhere near the kitchen, she’d probably poison the both of us.” Ryouko shuddered.

So they had two cooking experts. At least now he wouldn’t worry about starving.

“Let’s just be glad Taka didn’t burn the supermarket down too. Or else we’d be out of supplies too; can’t make anything out of nothin’, you know?”

 Makoto noticed Ryouko hadn’t stopped glaring at Taka.

“My apologies.” Taka bowed his head.

“Come on, Ryouko. It’s no good to hold a grudge.” Not like he was one to talk since he’d forced Taka into similar circumstances a few hours ago.

Ryouko smiled “Fiiiine. I’ll let it slide this time since you were only looking out for Makoto over here.”

 “Yeah, Makoto. You need to take better care of yourself.” “Agreed. It may be time for me to start enforcing a training regimen on you. You are far too thin for a boy your age.”

Hina  and Sakura jumped in

 “Don’t turn the situation over on me!” Makoto blushed. Now it felt like the kitchen burning down really _was_ his fault.

“And it’s quite the situation indeed.” It was Celes who spoke and trailing behind her were … Hifumi (who looked like he was about to faint at the sight of the kitchen), Mondo, Ikusaba, Hiro, Sayaka, Kizakura, Touko…just about everyone else, excluding Kyouko, Chihiro and Togami.

 Oh crap. They didn’t finish cleaning up!

“Well, care to explain yourselves, _kids?”_ Kizakura said harshly

“I can explain.” “Uh…see it all started like.” “This has nothing to do with me.” “We found them and the kitchen messed up, right Sakura?” “Indeed.”

Makoto, Ryouko, Asahina and Sakura gazed amongst each other before coming to an unspoken agreement.

“Taka’s fault.” They stated in unison.

“Traitors!”

\---

“This is why your mothers told you not to play with the stove, idiots.” Kizakura addressed them all. Even the ones that had nothing to do with the fire.

“Yes, sir.” The students droned.

“I’ll at least give you 5 troublemakers credit on coming up with a solution quickly. Anyone who is confident in their skills, raise your hand.”

Ryouko, Sayaka and Hifumi raised their hands.

Ikusaba motioned to do the same until

“Sis, raise that hand up and I’ll cut it off.” Ryouko snarled.

Ikusaba frowned, turning her head to the side as she placed her hand back down

Ryouko was kind of harsh. Surely, Ikusaba couldn’t be _that_ bad…and even if she was, a little instruction would help.

“That makes 3 then. Good enough for rotating shifts of breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Kizakura decided.

“Uh. I think that might be 4 since Togami can cook too, apparently.” Makoto said…and was met with dead silence.

“He’s kidding, right?” Kizakura doubted him, as did the other students who weren’t around for Sakura’s explanation.

“He probably still has a fever.”

 “D-Damn right he does; Master would never waste his time on something like that. And t-there’s  also no way Makoto could know more about my white knight t-than I do.” Touko agreed with ****

“Touko…” Makoto  muttered. Before he could finish, as footsteps came from the stairway.

He didn’t understand why his breath hitched as she came into view.

 “Is breakfast not ready?” Kyouko Kirigiri said, gazing at the group with mild confusion.

The others reacted aptly…and yet, he was overwhelmed by foreign sensations; a light headache, and heat flowed through his entire body.

Before he knew it, he’d already made his way over to Kyouko.

“Makoto, did you need something?” She said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. She was never one for being in close proximity with others and right now, Makoto was breaching the barriers of her personal face.

Those barriers were shattered when the luckster suddenly embraced her.

“!” The detective froze in his arms

Kizakura nearly choked on his alcohol flask

“Oh my.” Celestia said

“Woah!” Mondo shouted

“Has Mister Naegi finally awakened to his protagonist status!?” Hifumi commented.

“W-wait. Is he crying?” Sayaka said, worried

And she was right. He noticed as he pulled away from the unresponsive detective that tears had fell down his cheeks.

He didn’t know why. All he knew is that right now, he couldn’t look Kyouko or anyone else in the face

So he didn’t and stared at the ground

“S-sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” He breathed out.

Nobody replied…nor did the tense atmosphere dip in the slightest.

Makoto bit his lip and walked past Kyouko, his destination being…anywhere but there.

Not a soul motioned to stop him.

-Mixed PoVs-

“Should any of us go after him?” Hina finally broke the ice.

“Nah. I doubt he’d want us to after _that._ I didn’t think Makoto had the guts to be so forward.” Hiro added

“Gotta agree with Hiro. If Makoto’s a man, he’ll want to be alone right now.” Mondo nodded, convinced in his own conclusion.

“What does being a man have to do with anything? Makoto’s fairly timid by nature so a public display of affection is grossly out of character. What matters is _why_ he did it.” Celes said, wearily.

“Well, Kirigiri. Any ideas?” Ikusaba addressed the detective.

Kyouko gave no indication of having a prepared answer nor had she said a word prior. She just sat by the corner in contemplation.

“I think Kyouko’s having some troubles of her own.”  Sayaka said.

Kizakura shook his head in amusement. “Leave him alone for now. However, I can’t deny our little mascot has done some rather uncharacteristic things, so I’ll ask some of you to keep an eye on him at your convenience.”

The group nodded

“He's definitely acting strange...and not just bear-hugging Kirigiri either. There’s something else that’s been bugging me since yesterday.” Ryouko said in a cold, calculating tone.

The Ultimate Analyst’s eyes were drawn to her red-head classmate “Leon, did you do something to anger Makoto?”

“Huh? Hell if I know. He was fine the day before yesterday.” The athlete replied.

"You're sure?" She pressed him

"Positive."

“Understood…then can you explain why he hasn’t acknowledged your existence since then?”


	11. Risentimento/Grudge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't think I mentioned this before but the "regrets" section at the end of a chapter does have importance for the story. They will either be teases into a character's psyche or (in Leon's case at the end of chapter 3 and explored in chapter 6) be lines that will outright be said in the future.

Makoto Naegi crouched by the edge of the port, entranced by the sea.

He reached into his pocket to pick out a silky white handkerchief and wiped his eyes.

What was he thinking? Why would he do _that_ to Kirigiri of all people?  She’d never forgive him for embarrassing her like that.

Maybe he _was_ sick _._

Should he go back and apologize? ...Heck no. Nothing had changed, he wouldn’t even know what to say to anybody.

 _“Why am I so lame?”_ He placed his forehead into his palms

“…Eh?” He said, as he finally took in the soft yet foreign fabric in his hands.

_Where did I get this?_

He examined the handkerchief and was drawn to the inscribed initials “K.M”

This definitely didn’t belong to him so where did he get it?...Naegi had been told by Kizakura that he was sleepwalking…maybe that way?

He shook his head and placed the cloth back in his pocket. Regardless of whether he picked it up, there was a strong impulse within that suggested he keep it.

“I guess I should start thinking of what to say…and maybe Kirigiri might need some time too.” He didn’t need to apologize immediately, that’d be awkward. Maybe tomorrow would be enough time.

Yeah, he’d just apologize tomorrow.

-Multiple PoV-

“What is this fool doing?” Byakuya Togami said as soon as he entered the restaurant.

The idiot in this instance referred to Leon but it could easily have been substituted for an ambiguous denominator for everyone in the room; each of them expressed some gloomy demeanor that irritated him on the spot. The orangutan was just particularly aggravating.

“Not in the mood, Toges.” Leon Kuwata brushed him off.

That was almost interesting. Togami turned to face the others, implicitly re-applying his earlier question.

“I wasn’t here either but from what they told me, Leon’s getting ignored by Makoto.” Fujisaki answered. At least _someone_ could be counted on.

“Oh? So the buffoon is mad because the runt isn’t paying attention? That would almost be adorable if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

"Why’d you tell him, Chii?” Leon groaned “Listen here, rich pants. You wouldn’t know how it feels to angst over your best bud giving you the cold shoulder if it hit you in the face.  Not like you’d ever have to worry about that since you’ll never get one.”

“And yet you’re the one moping like a dog right now. No thanks if that’s what I’ll have to deal with.”Togami’s lips tightened ever so slightly before sitting by an empty table. He adorned a smirk as a certain detective crossed his vision. “Well, that explains the sports idiot, but what of you, Kirigiri? I have a hard time believing _you’re_ bothered by Naegi ignoring him _too._ ”

The detective cast him a sidelong glance. Not a single emotion could be conveyed from her features.

That is, if you weren’t Byakuya Togami.

He snickered, catching the annoyed gazes of a few others “I can hazard a rather vague guess but I’d rather you spit it out.”

“Well now, that is quite the discerning eye, Togami. Even I might have had some trouble seeing through Kyouko…what tipped you off?” Celestia addressed him.

“It wasn’t just her expressions but also the reactions of a few choice people in the room; place Naegi at the center and…well, any moron could figure it out. I just picked Kirigiri because it would be more interesting that way.”

Said “choice people” glared at him and all but confirmed his suspicions.

“I wouldn’t have got that just from looking at a bunch of folks.” Hagakure said.

“Oh but Hagakure, you’re not just _any_ moron. I assure you.”

“Putting the idiot aside, you seem to be in high spirits today. I wonder…would you indulge me in a game?” Celestia twirled a single playing card immaculately on her pinky.

“That depends on whether there are stakes.” Did she think he'd take that bait?

“It’s not really much of a gamble if there aren’t any.”

“Then I’ll have to decline.”

“Oh? Now isn’t that surprising. For the great Byakuya Togami to shy away from provocation.”

“It just goes to show how little you know. Making assumptions can be dangerous Celestia Ludenberg; someone in your trade should be aware of that more than anyone.”

“…Very well.”

“Now then. How long has this been going on?” He asked.

“About a few hours…” Yamada answered

“And you’ve all just sat here doing nothing?”

“We decided it would be best to give Naegi his space.” 

“…Nonsense..If you’ll excuse me, I’ll find something to eat.” He stood up and faced the kitchen.

“At the supermarket?” Sayaka interjected

“No, the kitchen…why would you expect me to walk all the way over there?” Togami looked at her puzzled.

“…Because your reaction will be funnier this way now.” She threw his earlier words back at him.

Togami raised his eyebrows at the idol’s intentionally ambiguous phrasing. He moved towards the kitchen and detected lingering fragrance of soot and smoke. Fearing the worst, he opened the kitchen door threatened to facepalm at what he saw

“Is there literally not a working brain cell among you?”                                         

Everyone else giggled and snickered at the heir.

“Anyway, its probably best if we leave Naegi to his own devices. He’ll come around soon.” Kizakura said

“How long is soon?” Leon moped

“A day, probablyy.”

“Is it safe to leave Naeggs alone for that long? The little dude’s a walking hazard.” Everyone agreed that Yasuhiro was probably right about that.

“He’ll be fine and while I can’t promise he won’t get lost. We still have those fashionable bracelets that’ll let me know exactly where you kids are.” Kizakura pointed to the bracelets. 

“But you guys should have more faith in the mascot. It’s only a day at most.”

-5 days later-

A brooding atmosphere filled the room.

“It appears I might have made an error in judgment.” Kizakura confessed. Judging by how things turned out, _obviously_ he did.

“To be honest, even I didn’t anticipate things would turn out quite this grim.” Hifumi added

The Naegi dilemma as they’d termed it had taken a turn for the worse. The expectations were that everything would have been fine the coming day and thus nobody took the initiative to resolve the issue immediately. 

"Worst vacation ever!" Leon's frustration had reached their boiling point.

"Sure...if you discount the luxury hotels, rooms, the attractions and  being on a resort worth billions, then yeah, total bummer." Sarcasm dripped from Hiro's rep

For which Leon chose to ignore "Glad you agree."

"Why don't you just admit you fucked up somehow and apologize? You probably ragged on his hair again." Hiro rolled his eyes

"I'm telling you I didn't do jack." Leon countered

"Maybe he's telling the truth." Sayaka said.

"What? You believe him?" Hiro asked.

"I think so. Makoto isn't the type to get angry that easily. I mean, think about what Leon has done to him in the past and by that, I'm talking about the very first day here." He would have to agree with Sayaka's assessment. Naegi was one of the more composed members of the class. That said, he wasn't sure what the idol had been referring to.

 A resounding bout of giggles erupted across the room from so someone else did at least.

"Oh yea. You talkin about when Leon 'accidentally' gave the squirt the wrong directions." Mondo elaborated while clutching his sides

"Was that how he wandered off into the girl's change rooms?" Sakura inquired. Ah, even he'd heard this story.

Sayaka giggled "Yup..though I'm surprised you know about that. I didn't think you were there."

"Like she needed to be when a good bunch of the school heard about it. Heck, that was the first time the kid _really_ got on my radar  I'll never forget the look on Jin's face when he got the news." Kizakura was amused. He wasn't sure _why._ Voyeurism was a serious crime. If he hadn't experienced Makoto's abysmal luck firsthand, he would consider the luckster in need of severe reformation.

"Can you believe Naeggs has never thanked me for that? I'm the reason he got famous. Plus I'm sure he got a great view too." Leon said.

The girls gazed at him in disgust.

"You also nearly got him expelled on the first day." Sayaka glared at him.

Leon shrugged "Either way. I've done nothing recently to get him mad at me. If he could handle _that_ on the first day, no way I'm the one at fault _now_. Maybe he's going through an emo phase."

"Not helping your case, Leon." Hina shook her head."Look, even if you think you didn't do anything wrong, Makoto might have taken it that way. Just go say you're sorry already."

"But I've been _trying_. Every time I get close, he just acts all skittish and brushes me off. Sometimes I don't think he even notices I'm _there_."

Leon groaned and planted his head on the table.

"Heheh. T-Trouble in paradise?" Touko mocked.

The athlete didn't raise his head to spare a glance at the author and raised his middle finger; the gesture was unknown to him. He wasn't certain why Touko brought up those accusations either. Surely, Makoto would have better taste than that hoodlum even if he did have such inclinations.

"Forgetting Leon, we should probably do something." Asahina said, giving him the opening he'd been waiting for. 

"I have just the idea!" Kiyotaka shouted

"I thought you'd been quiet for a while now. Did you think of a solution?" Kizakura said

"Indeed I have." He'd spent all night thinking about it and now was the time to show it off.

"I propose we organize a Banquet Festival!"

The crowd went silent

"Cool idea and all, bro but haven't we been over the, 'only 3 of us has any fuckin idea how to cook?' Or are we going to make them do all the work?" Mondo replied.

"Have no fear, bro. That fact is essential to my solution." Taka advised.

"Taka wants to make this a bonding exercise while doubling as a learning venture." Sayaka said.

Everyone simultaneously stared at her, oddly.

"I'm not psychic, really."

"Er...she is right, regardless." Kiyotaka confirmed.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea. Though there'll need to be strict conditions, of course." Kizakura instructed. 

"Spit it out, teach." Leon said.

"You need an advisor at all times, it won't be me but get someone who has experience monitoring those that don't; that goes double...triple! for Hagakure - at no point do i want that idiot left to his own devices."

Everyone nodded.

Yes, _everyone_

"Hiro, you know he just insulted you right. Why are _you_ agreeing with him?" Asahina said.

"Yeah but he's not wrong, ya know. There was this one time i tried cooking 'veggies' for a bunch of my old pals and man, things got  _real_ heated...if you catch my drift"

"I am not sure I understand." Kiyotaka asked, quizzically.

"Please don't make him elaborate. It'd be a real pain in the ass to turn one of my students into the police. In fact, new rule - Hagakure isn't allowed to touch anything." Kizakura was dead serious.

His proposition was met with unanimity.

"Okay, even if we settle that predicament, exactly who is going to be teaching? Ms.Maizono, Ms Otonashi myself would have our hands full with only a few of you."

"Not really sure on Ryouko helping..." Sayaka started.

"Of course she would, she already gave her consent days ago." Taka said.

"...Well, try your best." Sayaka sighed, thinking he'd figure it out himself.

"Eh, does anyone even know where Ryouko _is_?" Hina asked.

"Last I checked, she was with her creepy sister down at the beach." Leon said. Kiyotaka frowned at the poor word choice.

"Might you want to rephrase that off-handed comment on Ikusaba." Sakura cracked her knuckles

"Yes ma'am, pardon me ma'am." Leon nodded rapidly.

"...Idiot." Sayaka shook her head.

\---

"Not interested. It doesn't concern me." Was Ryouko's immediate response to the Kiyotaka's suggestion. 

He couldn't understand the source of her disapproval however her mind didn't change despite his constant attempts.

"Odd, she seemed eager to lend a hand  the morning I burnt the kitchen." He said to himself as he walked aimlessly. Already his plan had met a major setback.

"What business did you have with Ryouko?" A familiar voice called out from behind. Kiyotaka turned around to find Mukuro Ikusaba.

"f you don't mind me asking. I was just curious." She continued.

"Ah, the class is planning on having a cooking festival and I needed her expertise. She turned me down, unfortunately."

"Expectedly. This is the first I'm hearing of this though." She said in a tone that he just couldn't pin down. Ikusaba was a complete mystery to him.

"That's because I thought of it today. The festival was supposed to be a way to bring us **all** closer. Especially after what happened to Naegi and Kirigiri." He muttered

"All of us...including me?" She said, pensive.

"Obviously. You are part of the class, why on Earth would I make _you_ an exception." He assumed she wasn't willing to participate. Well twins _were_ known to share preferences and dislikes.

Ikusaba was silent for a time.

"So this all started with Naegi then?" She said suddenly. Why Ikusaba zoned in on _that_ detail was odd but before he could ask, she continued "I'm guessing you didn't mention that part to my sister."

"No. With her compliance a few days ago, I thought she wouldn't _need_ any thorough convincing." 

"Naegi was there with you back then, wasn't he?"

"Uh...yes, but I don't think that's important."

"You'd be wrong." Ikusaba shrugged "Sis has something of a one track mindset. She'll only lift a finger for whatever or whoever she takes a significant interest in."

"That's rather harsh." Just what did Ryouko think of the rest of them? Kiyotaka personally thought he had redeemable traits at least.

"You shouldn't take it personally. Usually, Ryouko wouldn't even recognize the existence of most people; all of them may as well be faceless dolls who just happen to be capable of movement. That she interacts with the rest of you at all is miraculous and definitely means you're special...Naegi is just moreso, I guess."

She turned around. 

He couldn't understand the person in front of him nor did he know much about them. However...the way her hands clenched into a fist told him all that he needed to know.

"I'm almost envious, really. A long time ago, my sister wouldn't respond to anyone; not our parents and not even me. I tried hard to get her to recognize me...you couldn't even imagine." Ikusaba said.

"I don't suppose I can, not without knowing your circumstances. That said, I believe I may have gone through similar circumstances in my family; you may know about it as it was a very...public ordeal  ." This was getting a bit heavy. He'd prefer to end the topic there, if possible.

"it was lonely, wasn't it?" He spoke with caution, the worst he could here was appear insensitive.

The expressionless soldier briefly closed her eyes.

"Yes, it was." It was a response no less monotonous than all the others

 -Makoto Naegi-

Could he go to the amusement park? They had a bunch of fun stuff there.

Makoto laid on his bed, thinking of possible diversions.

_No arcades but there were a bunch of attractions like the funhouse, the rollercoaster, the castle and...the casino._

All of those areas comprised the forth island wihch was probably the smallest of the bunch, save the first.

The funhouse was out of the question. His talent assured he'd get lost there forever or at least, until someone came for him. That would kind of defeat the point of looking for something fun to do alone.

You need at least two people to ride the rollercoasters so that was also unlikely.

The castle...well, there was nothing stopping him from exploring over there. The archaic texture and medieval artifacts within were pretty cool at least...but he always believed the castle was the least interesting attraction of the 4. There was just so little to do there  and the place wasn't _that_ big; it just didn't fit with the scale of everything else.

Last but not least was the casino. Now this was a relatively new addition to the resort, what with high class business attendants and ventures coming in and out. Makoto figured the casino was somewhere they could entertain themselves by betting their finances against one another. It was certainly no place for a student...although that logic certainly didn't apply to Celes, who made it her number one priority to commandeer the area. If you couldn't find her with everyone else, then there she'd be there without question. 

He'd entertained the possibility of hanging out with her however,...that would definitely cost him and he meant that literally. In that environment, there's no way she'd resist the temptation to goad him into a gamble. Ever since Celes heard of his title, she'd wanted a crack at him...and well, she's the ultimate gambler! What idiot would willingly bet against her?

Not him. He thought...as he recalled tales of Celes winning numerous underground tournaments.

She was undoubtedly exceptional, and certainly too much for someone like him to compete against.

And yet Makoto couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps one day, would find out for himself exactly how exceptional she was personally.

...

_Maybe Hiro's free._

The next moment, he found his door suddenly kicked open.

"Yo, shrimp." It was Leon.

"Did you need something?" Makoto addressed him

"Woah harsh...but yeah I guess."

Was he being harsh? He didn't think so but it was possible. Leon had approached him constantly in recent memory and often for no reason. It was becoming ~~annoying~~   a little bothersome.

"Anyway, Taka's planning a party and you're invited."

Huh? Taka and party didn't mix so Leon must have failed to elaborate on the details. Still, it sounded interesting...then again, maybe not.

"That sounds like it'd be awkward for me. I'll pass."

"Man you need to get over this. Nobody cares that you went all PDA with Kyouko. Hell, I'd be congratulating you right now if you weren't having your period over it."

"I am not!" Makoto argued back "And _she_ cares. Kyouko _hates_ when others barge in on her privacy and she's **scary** when she's mad."

"Hmm...true, you're probably screwed. But let me tell you that avoiding her isn't helping any."

"I know that." He snapped.

:"Great so no objection then. Let's go." Leon forcefully grabbed his arm.

"Hey, wait!" He said, being dragged along by the athlete.

 ---

Everyone was gathered around central island. All of them facing Taka who stood in front of the statue.

"I'm glad everyone made it. I will now announce what I have planned for the next while." He said jovially

Makoto looked around and found the some as confused and anxious as he. He could only assume nobody knew the full extent of what it was Taka had in mind.

While scanning the area, his eyes widened as they met with Kyouko's. They stayed like that for what was probably a second yet felt much longer.

She broke eye contact first and returned her attention to Taka. Makoto let out a the breath he'd held in.

"I've decided we'll have a cooking showdown! All of us will be grouped into teams that will compete against each other one week from now. Each pair will have one supervisor who already has experience in the field and will help those less experienced grow."

It sounded simple enough

Leon raised his hand "What do we get if we win? Not much of a contest if the prize ain't worth, you know."

"Agreed, fellow classmate. Mr.Kizakura, if you will?"

"Sure. Winners get As on all subjects on their report card. You don't even have to show up to class, not that some of you ever do."

"That reward is unethical!" Taka dramatically pointed at the teacher

"Okay, buzzkill.  100 000 yen out of pocket, how does that sound?" Almost everyone gasped at the amount. Exactly how much did he get paid to wave around that kind of money?

"Don't be so surprised, the demerit for losing is severe. So to make sure none of you think you can half-ass this, there's a penalty for the team with the worst dish." Kizakura smile turned malicious.

Quite a few of them gulped.

"The loser gets one of their deepest secrets exposed to e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y." The fedora drew out a pair envelopes that had their names on it. Makoto tunnel-visioned in to his own

"Forget the grades. Now _that_ can't be ethical! Why and how do you even know our secrets!?" Hina yelled.

Kizakura chuckled. "Don't know if you guys are aware? But I've got a talent too and that's the ultimate scout. This is Hope's Peak, you think I wouldn't thoroughly research your backgrounds before you got accepted into the school? No chance in hell."

"You've got to be joking." Hina said, dejectedly. She must really not want anyone to know about her secret...that went for everyone here. He wouldn't be happy for anyone to find out about his embarrassing past.

"Do not worry,Hina. I'm sure this is just a way to motivate us." Sakura placed a hand on the swimmer's shoulder.

"Yeah and it's _just_ cooking. How hard can it be?" Mondo said

"You'd be wrong, bro." Ishimaru countered "The cooking aspect is merely one of the last stages. First you need to find the ingredients all over the island and use them in your recipe."

"WHAT?" Leon yelled. Guess he hadn't expected that. "Why not just get them from the supermarket?"

"Because that'd be boring, duh. I'll get the basic stuff like seasoning and red meat but you guys will need to come up with the rest. Anyone who thinks they can cheat and not get caught, loses automatically and gets their secrets  exposed. Not even joking." Kizakura warned.

_This was getting serious._

"Um...what if some of the ingredients are poisonous?" Chihiro asked.

"Good question, Chihiro. That's why we have experts who will examine each ingredient before consumption." Taka answered

"Now onto our supervisors. They will consist of Sayaka, Hifumi and Ryouko."

...so 5 in each group. That seems like a lot of work.

"Ridiculous." An authoritative voice called out.

"Is there a problem Togami?"

"The game sounds interesting enough so I'll participate. I will not need a supervisor however and I'll be selecting my own team." The affluent progeny crossed his arms. "Fujisaki, you're with me."

Eh? That was an odd choice. Togami probably didn't have to worry about losing but he was the sort who'd win using the best tools at his disposal regardless. When had he thought so highly of Chihiro that he'd pick the programmer first?

"Can it, rich boy. Who made you king?" Mondo snarled.

However Chihiro was already standing besides Togami...

"S-seriously, Chi? You're _fine_ working with that douche?" Mondo said, surprised.

"Uh...he's not so bad and I _am_ happy someone picked me." Chihiro muttered shyly.

"W-Why, Master? H-How could you pick that runt over me!?" Touko cried. She was probably being dramatic on purpose. Hopefully.

"Be quiet, you're next." Togami responded and the author's despair practically vanished on the spot

"Oogami, you as well." He turned to face the martial artist

"Hell no!" Hina jumped between them. "Over my dead body you're taking Sakura away from me."

"Hina, you're exaggerating." Sakura chided her but the donut enthusiast refused to move.

"Pardon me. Togami but i would appear I must decline the invitation." Sakura refused

Togami nodded and trailed over to...

"Ikusaba, you'll do."

"Eh?" The soldier eyes widened slightly.

All eyes were now focused on her.

"Toges has some strange tastes." Leon said.

Makoto wanted to elbow him in the gut. Lightly, of course.

"Hmm...go for it, sis." Ryouko encouraged Ikusaba.

"My, you seem to be getting into this little game. Do you actually _enjoy_ menial tasks?" Celes openly mocked him.

Togami met her with a similarly unimpressed look "Piece of advice, Celestia. Keep relying on others doing everything for you and you'll only have yourself to blame when you have nothing left to fall back on."

"Noted."  It didn't seem like she listened, really.

"Well, since Togami volunteered to pick his own team, that make things more balanced." Taka began.  "Let's see. Sayaka, you take Makoto, Leon and Kyouko."

The luckster;s eyes widened a the compass' declaration...but he also knew any objections he made here would definitely bite him in the ass. He  didn't even bother looking at the other two.

_I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today._

"Glaaaaaaare." Ryouko interjected...glaring at Kiyotaka "I want to be with Makoto."

Taka frowned while Makoto sighed.

He _really_ wanted to go back to his room.

"Sayaka, fight me for it." Ryouko pouted

"I'd really rather not. You can have that group if you'd like." Sayaka replied, not one to even entertain a spat.

"Awesome." Ryouko ran over and motioned for a high-five. Sayaka met the gesture with a giggle and then turned to the rest of the group.

"I guess I'll take...Hina, Sakura and Celes." 

 An all-girls group...Hina and Sakura would work together great but he didn't think the same could be said of Celes. Sayaka would have her work cut out for her.

"Another unexpected roadblock. There goes Plan A." Taka muttered to himself.

"Plan?" Makoto said, catching Taka's attention.

"Hmm? What plan?" Taka replied

"Huh? You just said-'

"-To continue this conversation later, first I must have a private meeting with each team advisor." Taka cut him off.

_That made no sense. But if he was so bent on dodging the issue..._

Kiyotaka left with Sayaka, Ryouko and Hifumi while Togami was busy with his own group.

As for himself...well...

"H-hey Kyou-" As he mentioned the her name, the detective was already walking away from him.

It was unlikely she hadn't heard him from the short distance that separated them...and that hurt. 

Naegi felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Leon standing over him with a pity look.

"You'll get her next time, buddy." He said.

Those were word of encouragement. They certainly were. Leon joked around a lot but he would never laugh at his expense in this sort of situation.

_So why?_

Why did Makoto feel like his supposed friend was mocking him? Nearly everything Leon did put him on the precipice of indignation. That was the truth he couldn't shy away from any longer.

Naegi smacked Leon's arm off his shoulder

"Woah, dude?" He almost sounded hurt

"Uh, sorry about that. I don't think I'm feeling well today. Tell Taka I'll hear the rest of the details tomorrow." Makoto answered with doubtful sincerity, made even more apparent by the fact that he didn't face Leon.

Before Leon could even respond, he was already heading back to his cottage.

Funny, it was an action not unlike what Kyouko had done moments before. Was this team going to be alright?

Leon hadn't done anything wrong...so the problem had to be his own. Was he still sick?

The throbbing headache that surged during his ruminations served as his answer.

He needed sleep.

He also knew it wouldn't help.

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

"What were you thinking?" He snapped at Ryouko

 "I wasn't!" She yelled back, comically.

"Evidently." Hifumi shook his head. "Ms.Otonashi. Mr Ishimaru's goal was to have Ms.Maizono lessen the friction between our fellow classmates. She has the social skills and is closer to them to make it work."

"Hey, I'm close too!"

"To Makoto yes. Leon and Kyouko? Not so much, in my opinion." Sayaka replied

"Leon's a perv and Kiks needs to smile more."

The others raised their eyebrow at Kyouko's new nickname.

"And why did _you_ accept, Sayaka?" Kiyotaka wondered

The idol shrugged "Ryouko probably wouldn't work so well in other teams plus with a little guidance, I think she might be more effective than me in dealing with Makoto's problem."

"How do you figure?" 

"Uh. Her talent? Sorry but I can't compete with that kind of skill." Sayaka admitted.

They were all forced to recognize that as truth. Ryouko used her analytic abilities so rarely, they tended to forget how incredible it was. 

"Perhaps, the plan might still work out but you must direct their efforts into a unified one, Ryouko." Ishimaru said.

"You can count on me. I'll get those guys all buddy-buddy again in no time." Ryouko said, confidently.

"See. we can count on her." Sayaka agreed " What I'm more worried about is that little condition you added. Taka. Chihiro was right, some ingredients might be a little dangerous. I can spy some blatant ones but I'm not confident I can spot some lesser known toxic foods."

"No worries. Sis and I have got that covered too." Ryouko announced.

"Ikusaba? Are you sure?" Hifumi asked

"Duh! Why do you think Byakun picked her? Sis has all sorts of exp in the wild. She better after running from home for YEARS!" That was an interesting bit of information he wasn't aware of. Ikusaba had next to nothing on her documents. Nothing besides her fame in Fenrir but he could see the logic there.

"It's nice to have such capable friends." Sayaka smiled.

"Indeed. If there is nothing more, Mr.Ishimaru, we should group with Mr Hagakure and Oowada." Hifumi agreed

Kiyotaka nodded "Very well."

"Uh before that. Can me and Taka can have a chat?" Ryouko added

Sayaka and Hifumi looked between them confused and consented to the analyst's request. They left to meet their own teams.

"What did you say to Mukuro?" Ryouko demanded suddenly. It was unquestionably a demand. Her expression held no trace of amusement as cold blue eyes observed him like prey.

"I'm not sure what you're referring to. I merely requested she convince you to join." But he certainly wasn't one to kneel just in the face of intimidation...what kind of future prime minister would he be if he surrendered to...friendly questioning.

"No. There was more. What did you say to her specifically?"

"I told you;  _nothing_. All that was said was for her to be sure both of you join us. That is all." Ah...perhaps Ikusaba really didn't wish to participate and was angry with him for making the event mandatory.

"Hmm. Did I anger your sister by including her? Should I have done otherwise?"

"Angry? I wouldn't care if she was. I just noticed she was acting differently and I narrowed the list of causes down to you." She said "But I might have an idea now. Thank you,"

"Er...you're welcome?" He wasn't sure what he did. The analyst's pace was all over the place.

"Ah, I'm serious about this. Thanks. Sis is always so gloomy but that time was different so I had to find out. Sis is pretty hopeless, if I don't watch out for her, I don't think anyone else will."

"Untrue!" He countered

"Huh?"

"What do you take us for? Paperweights? As classmates and friends, its our obligation and pleasure to look out for one another. Even if you didn't take care of your sister, _we would._ "

 Ryouko's eyes widened slightly

"Pfft....ahahahahaha" The amnesiac's shoulders heaved as she laughed. A few seconds passed before she finally came to a stop

"Whew. I always thought you were a bit of a stiffy dork, Taka but I changed my mind. Well, you're still a dork but now...I think you're an interesting dork." She  smiled as she evaluated him.

That was a compliment, probably.

"Thank you. And I wish you good luck with Makoto and the others." He said.

"Don't worry. Leave those angsty teens to me." Ryouko answered him, boldly.

He truly felt he could. They were here to enjoy themselves and develop in a foreign and expansive environment. Surely that was the school's goal when they approved of the vacation conditions. 

Under his strict supervision, absolutely nothing could go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regrets #4
> 
> She had never been feminine. 
> 
> As a child, she would go roughhousing with boys whereas other girls would play amongst each other with dolls.
> 
> She was unreserved and crude in her speech while they spoke immaculately and cutely.
> 
> She played sports all the time while they braided each other's hair.
> 
> She was different. She knew that. And she didn't hate herself for it. There was nothing wrong with being different.
> 
> The praise and sense of achievement she gained from using her athletic prowess, her talent, was there to remind her of that. No matter what sport she played, she received the highest marks without difficulty. She enjoyed playing of course but winning is what truly made it worthwhile.
> 
> It didn't matter if the girls disapproved behind her back or the guys called her a tomboy. She didn't need to think about any of that when that time could be better used to master her talent; She could be loved for that at least.
> 
> Compared to excelling at swimming, their scorn was insignificant. Everything was, just as long as she won.


	12. Fuoco Amico / Friendly Fire

Makoto's eyes gingerly fluttered open. From his open window, he could tell that day had barely broke.

The time was 4:00 am in the morning and his head was pounding as a result of the nightmares that never ceased.

He was tired. He wanted nothing more than to lie in bed for the rest of the day...or two. Unfortunately, doing so would give his teammates a handicap at the onset of the contest. And with the threat of having their innermost secrets exposed, losing wasn't an option. They didn't necessarily have to _win_ either but competing with a mindset of anything less was just asking for trouble.

His culinary experience was limited to mundane meals (noodles and rice) He wasn't terrible but he wasn't remotely _good_ either. 

Leon was probably even worse to his knowledge. The athlete never made his own meals, or took care of his room, or did his own laundry or...just about anything really.

Kyouko was...a total mystery. She'd be the wild-card here...still, he couldn't imagine someone as Kyouko being anything but expedient at anything she did.

And last was Ryouko. He already knew she was probably an expert but was she reliable enough to teach? He couldn't be sure on that.

Sure enough, they were a rag-tag bunch of misfits scrapped together but they could make do. At least the other teams weren't all that better off.

Makoto shifted on his bed and closed his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.

Unfortunately, his door rudely slammed open as Ryouko shamelessly strutted in. 

"Morning!" He didn't pay one iota to her greeting for his attention was directed solely to her attire. Ryouko had ditched her regular school uniform for...hunting gear?  For reasons currently beyond understanding, Ryouko wore a round cap on her forehead, and camouflage jackets, shorts and long boots. Strangest of all was a long carrier bag strapped behind her. Similar to how someone would carry a guitar case on their backs.

_...I have to start locking that door._

"A bit early for cosplay, isn't it?" If she said yes, that would be the simplest explanation he could possibly get, which is exactly why the real reason was going to be much more ridiculous.

"The early bird gets the treasure the and we've got some hunting to do." 

_Is there really such an analogy?_

He slowly stood out of bed. There was no hope for getting sleep. "Give me time to clean up."

\---

"So where'd you get the gear?" Was the first thing he asked when they left his room. Admittedly, she made the outfit look good.

"The supermarket. Teach gave me the green light for these AND this bad-boy." She pulled on the bag's zipper and drew...out...a....hunting rifle?

"T-That's fake, right?"

"Want to try?" She smirked. No, he didn't want to test it out and moreover, he wanted no part of what she intended to use that for.

"Where would you even find that!?" He steadily backed away.

"I told you, the supermarket. Well, the mono-machine to be precise, I just placed a few coins and the whole package came out."

"You...found a rifle...in a vending machine." Skeptical would be quite the understatement used to describe Makoto's expression.

"Yeah." She replied without a shred of hesitation, so clearly she didn't pick up on it.

"...Sure, why not. Just put that thing away before you hurt someone." He didn't even have the energy to argue for prolonged periods. 

"Don't worry, big sis isn't the only one with a gun license.."

The two continued walking until they arrived by the Jabberwock statue.

"There you are. Could you be any slower?"  Leon was there waiting for them. As was Kyouko...

"You called for us and here we are. Now explain." Kyouko flicked a strand of hair, a tinge of irritation hidden in her words.

"First things first; let's start with a good ol' stretching." Ryouko proposed

"...That answer wasn't entirely out of my expectations." 

"Eh? Kyouko didn't even scowl at me? A-Am I getting predictable?" 

"No, I think we're all sleepy to argue." Himself included. Makoto found the nearest open space to sit down "So let's use whatever energy we have productively. We _are_ here because of the contest right?" 

Ryouko puffed her cheeks "Well fine. I guess the plan's still on track if you're all tired anyway."

"So there _is_ a reason we're all standing here _this_ early?" Kyouko said

"Like Makoto said, this is all for that dumb contest Taka's cooked up. I thought it'd be a good idea to get a head start on everyone else."

"A head start to overcome our disadvantage, I presume?"

"Disadvantage? I'm not sure what you mean, Kyouko. Care to elaborate." A knowing smile crossed Ryouko's lips.  

"...Never mind." The detective withdrew.

"I don't really get it but fill us in on whatever you got planned, babe." Leon cut in with a yawn.

"I'll explain the basic steps we need to follow here. For phase one, we need to decide on a recipe. Then we scout for all the ingredients in phase two. Last will be the cooking stage. The final stage will be the most difficult, therefore I vote we should get the first two over with as early as possible."

"Sounds good. Let's get started." Leon was ready to go...but Kyouko apparently wasn't sold on the idea.

"Vote?" She raised a question.

"Yeah. I may be the advisor but leading and ordering people around...I'm terrible at that. We're a team, that's why we should base decisions on a democratic policy. If even one of us disagrees on a plan of action, we'll have to find an alternative until everyone's satisfied."

"Isn't that a tad inefficient? Wouldn't a majority approval work just as well?" Kyouko said

"Nope, this is all-or-nothing. What'd be unreasonable here would be a scenario where a group of  _four_ couldn't agree on a best course of action." Ryouko rolled her eyes.

"Before that...I have a question about the order in the itinerary." Makoto interrupted their spat.

"Yeah?"

"Uh well... how can we think of a recipe without first knowing what kind of ingredients are on the island?"

"If I remember right, Kizakura said he had the meat covered so I guess we're starting with everything except that. Like vegetarian shit?' Leon said.

"Those are good points. However, that would mean all the groups would have similar dishes at the fundamental level; there has to be a catch we're missing. A contest is no different than a game, there needs to be variety and accessibility, otherwise the game is a bust." Kyouko added

"Who's to say it won't be. Taka's the one organizing this thing and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he didn't get all the bugs checked out first."

"That's fair...however, Kizakura's backing him. I would think he'd have done his homework first on the island's resources...he certainly did his homework on _us_ , wouldn't you agree?" Kyouko replied.

Leon shrugged in agreement.

"In that case, I say we make a compromise. We decide on a recipe that's flexible and can still resemble the original dish even with some parts altered. That way, even if we can't find some of the ingredients, we can still achieve a similar result. Although, I'd say we should stick to food that has a lot of vegetables, just to be on the safe side."

Everyone agreed with Ryouko's suggestion.

Although, their agreement didn't affect their inexperience. No matter how hard he thought, the highest quality cooking he could think of was maybe curry and, well, he'd prefer not getting laughed at.  Looking around, Leon was faring no better; the other boy's expression was one of resignation.

This was a complete defeat for the boys, something Ryouko caught as she spared them a condescending grin.

"Done already?" She smirked

"Tsk. This test just isn't my speed." Leon said.  Not that he excelled in _any_ kind of test, if his grades were of any indication.

_But who was he to talk when he was just as bad?_

"Beef Bourguignon"

All heads turned towards Kyouko.

"Was that English!?" Leon flustered

"Leon, we're supposed to be Japanese." Makoto answered

"My grandfather travels all around the globe for his work. He took me on one of his trips to France once and I picked up the recipe on the way." Kyouko grudgingly elaborated, as she did whenever she was forced to reveal anything about herself.

"Way to go, Kyouko. I don't know what the hell that is but if you can make it then we've got this in the bag." Leon made a victorious gesture.

"B.B is French cuisine. The highlight is the meat itself so we wouldn't have to do too much searching for the rest. It could work...but we'll have to spice it up a bit to beat the others." Ryouko crossed her shoulders.

"French shit is supposed to be good food right? That means we should at least avoid getting last place; let's just kick back and relax." Leon said.

_He's kidding, right?_

_"_ Wow Leon, you must really not care about having your dirtiest secrets exposed to the world." Ryouko was almost impressed.

_Knowing Leon, that secret would probably involve Kanon and he definitely wouldn't want anyone to know...Who's Kanon?_

"He may be fine with it, but I certainly am _not_. We should aim for nothing less than first place." Kyouko sharp words broke Makoto's train of thought.

"Agreed. Although I don't really _have_ a secret, I just want to see the look on Byakun's face when we own him." Ryouko chuckled darkly.

"Fiiine, we'll go crazy. That reward money's looking pretty good now that I think about it." Leon smiled to himself. 

Makoto nodded in agreement. "All we need to do now is search for the ingredients and we'll be 2/3rds complete. It shouldn't take us nearly a week at this rate."

"...Huh? What do you mean by that?" Ryouko was bewildered, unable to understand the conclusion he reached.

"You're the one who said the second phase out of the three was scavenging the required materials...." Makoto replied. He worried that he imagined Ryouko's words however, neither Kyouko nor Leon found anything wrong with his statement.

"Oh, that's what you were referring to. That wasn't _quite_ the impression I wanted to give but...I guess you could put it that way. Fufufufu~" Ryouko wore a troll-ish grin.

He wasn't liking the sound of this.

"Don't worry, Makoto. I won't be forcing anyone to do what they don't want to - This is a democracy, remember~?" As if anticipating Makoto's internal frown, Ryouko continued...however, that untrustworthy smirk never left her face.

"If you say so...how should we begin then?" Makoto asked for the next step. He presumed that they find somewhere on the island that's bountiful with grass and perhaps even wildlife...though he was strongly doubting the latter.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We'll begin phase two right now..."Ryouko stretched her arms up in the air and then...faced the direction of the cottages.  "Alright, later. I'm going back to bed." 

...

" _W-What?_ " He exclaimed. He had to have misheard that.

"She's kidding right? I'm about to drop dead because of lack of sleep right here." A stupefied Leon was unable to make heads or tails of the amnesiac's declaration.

"Go ahead. Nobody's stopping you." Ryouko yawned

" _Says the nut who woke me in the middle of the night!_ " Leon flipped, and Makoto honestly couldn’t blame him. What was Ryouko thinking?

"...Where is the logic in this?" Makoto and Leon had lost their composure however, Kyouko remained as stoic as ever. "Regardless of how fickle you claim to be, I don't believe you're nearly this random. There is undoubtedly a purpose behind your actions, correct?"

"Who knows...ah screw it. I'll confess that Taka wanted me to have you all make up but that's boring, cliché _and_ ineffective." Ryouko rolled her eyes.

"Although, I'm absolutely serious about Taka's little festivities; potentially, it could deliver some interesting results. At least, it _could,_ if it wasn't for the fact that we're certain to lose."

"We won't know until we try." Makoto argued.

"Don't bother arguing, I've already done the math." She shot him down. "I want all of you to keep one thing in mind - - This contest is just a game...and much like any game, the objective is to immerse yourself, entertain yourself and, most importantly..."

"To win." Kyouko interjected 

"Exactly. Personally, I care most about winning but right now, that's just impossible because of all three of you. Why, you ask? You can thank that "handicap" Kyouko mentioned earlier. Truth is, most of the teams are about equal but we have by far the worst chemistry - I don't need my talent to know how this will turn out. And if there's no chance of winning, I don't even care to play."

"Then what exactly was all the planning we just did?" Leon said.

"My job. I'm the advisor, so I at least had to give you all some direction. Now you have an idea of what to do but just know it won't matter in the end unless you all clean up your act. I don't really care either way; I don't care about the prize and I'm not bothered one bit by the penalty.

"You're uninterested in the incentives behind this game yet you claim to care about winning?" Kyouko couldn't even hide her suspicion at this stage.

"I have my reasons." Ryouko smirked. 

"But don't get me wrong. You're all free to do whatever you want during this period and the way I see it, you have three options.  You can try to work things out between the three of you (but you probably won't) and I'll consider lending a hand. You can go in alone and work separately but I can confirm that's also a terrible idea. And lastly, you can do nothing. If there's nothing in it for you, there's no reason to put in any effort, right?"  The amnesiac rubbed her eyes. It looked like she was already about to fall asleep.

"Hey Hey, I don't know about anyone else here but I'm definitely not up for losing so option three is out." Leon said.

"Option two is equally pointless because without an advisor, there'd be nobody to teach in the cooking phase." Kyouko added.

"Isn't that a shame...Well no matter what you pick, I'll be going back to bed. I'm way too tired to do much of anything else. As for the rest of you...feel free to tell me if or whenever you decide to get along. There's noooo time limit~"

And with only that, Ryouko left, seemingly without a care in the world.

"No time-limit she says. Like it'd matter once we've reached the deadline." Leon scratched his hair.

Makoto was starting to understand...the proposition she offered _was_ rigged. "She got us."

"It seems you've realized it too." Kyouko faced him. It was the first time she'd acknowledged him in days.

"Realized what?" Leon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Kyouko narrowed her eyes "As much as I hate to admit it, the truth is, that we can't do very much without Ryouko. Therefore, we're best off agreeing nearly all her decisions since she's the one with experience."

"And not just that. By creating an 'all-or-nothing system, even if all three of us agreed on a course of action, she could veto it with a simple disagreement." Makoto said.

"Hold it, hold it. I'm not following. What's the point? How is this any different from ditzy making all the rules and giving the rest of us the middle finger?"

"Because Ryouko's proposal conveys the illusion of choice and camaraderie." Kyouko scoffed at the hypocrisy.

Makoto frowned.

_Democracy my butt, she'd be the worst kind of dictator; a successful one!_

"Right, I think I got it....but so what?" Leon mused.

Now it was the duo's turn to be confused.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked

"Unless I heard wrong, all we have to do is get along. Actually, it should be a cinch since we're all friends here."

A shiver went down Makoto's spine...a sensation that scarily changed to bubbling anger. Makoto couldn't explain it but the words Leon spoke frustrated him. Not that there was anything wrong with the phrase itself but that _it came from him_.  The luckster felt like he was being mocked.

Only there was no reason why he should feel this way. Even if his heart was enraged, his head was clear enough to understand that he was behaving irrationally. That's why he kept from lashing out at Leon.

"It would appear that 'getting along' will be considerably more difficult that you presumed, Leon." 

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to find Kyouko staring at him with calculating eyes.

Kyouko had always called him an open-book and she often proved it with the ease of which she read his thoughts and anticipated his actions.

Makoto realized...he had probably given his emotions away to the detective.

"Why not?" But thankfully not to Leon, who appeared to still be in the dark.

"I don't believe I'm ready to bury the hatchet just yet." She looked at Makoto as she spoke "And all of us are quite tired. It would be best to carry on this conversation at a later date."

"W-When will that be?" Makoto had the courage to ask and deeply hoped it wouldn't backfire.

Kyouko didn't reply, which meant it had indeed. 

Makoto suddenly lost the minuscule amount of energy that remained "Later, Leon. Let's meet up in the afternoon if you're free."

"Sure." The athlete responded.

He didn't see anyone else from his group for the rest of that day. The moment he returned to his cottage, he dropped on the bed. Maybe Ryouko's nonsense had been a blessing in disguise; Makoto felt disgustingly exhausted. His breathing was shallow and the migraines had returned. He certainly would fainted had he worked under this condition.

It didn't take the luckster long before he almost forcefully fell into a deep sleep.

\---

This time, Makoto woke up to the sunlight. The first thing he noticed was the sweating. The second was that he was the thirst. The last was the way his body ached. All were common signs of a oversleep. The question now was how long...

The time read 7:00 am.

It must be the very next day. He'd almost believed his clock was on the fritz however, the time on his bracelet matched. At this point, he was worried that there really was something wrong with his health. He'd rather not spend the rest of his vacation as an invalid and the deadline for the cooking contest was getting closer.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Makoto departed his chambers as soon as he was ready.

On the bright side, he was feeling better now than he had been in days. His thoughts were also somewhat clearer too., like a heavy fog was steadily fading away. If nothing else, he could use his rejuvenation to work as hard as possible today.

He recalled the 3 options Ryouko had suggested and, well, only one was even worth thinking about. Makoto would somehow patch things up with Leon and Kyouko and as fast as possible; when thinking about the situation rationally, their fallout has him at the center.

But the problem was _how_ he was supposed to tackle the issue.

Kyouko was annoyed with him, for obvious reasons, so he needed to pacify her.

Leon's scenario was the exact opposite and therefore somewhat harder to deal with; Makoto was angry at _him._ With Kyouko, he could understand the origin but Makoto was stumped here. What had Leon even done wrong?

He thought over possible reasons for this strange animosity but could come up with nothing on his little walk. His ruminations offered a single solution however, and that was to have a serious talk with Leon.  

Perhaps he could ask for advice on what to say from the others. Sayaka, Hina and Sakura would be his best picks. No offense to the others...but they probably wouldn't be as much help.

"That is quite an alluring proposition..." He heard a voice other than his own. Makoto stopped shy of the diner and spotted Ryouko and Celes, entranced in a conversation.

That was an odd pair.

"I figured you'd see things my way. Doing 'this' we'll take care of your little problem and mine. Win-Win, I'd say." Ryouko made a confident gesture.

"Only if you ignore all the risks involved..." Celes said

"Admittedly, yeah. But this way was the most interesting, and it's hard to get motivated unless I go all out...sorry but that's the sort of pest I am."

"It's fortunate you're aware of that little fact; those who know themselves best are less liable to fall prey to their own weaknesses." Celes said."Who else have you told?"

"Not another soul. You'll be the only one to know."

"Then I'm the only witness...fufu. My, how crude of you to take advantage of Kiyotaka's good will like this. You realize the chaos your scheme will bring, yes?" 

Ryouko smirked "I would say the one you should really feel sorry for is Byakuya. After all, he's your target, right?"

Celes' scarlet eyes gleamed.

Makoto shuddered. He couldn't make out the context but this sounded like a conversation he definitely didn't want to get caught up in. He'd confront Ryouko later.

If Celes was still here then the rest of her team were probably on break nearby. True to his logic, he didn't search far before he found the remainder of the girls. All 3 were held up in the diner sitting across each other in a section of 4.

"Hey" Makoto announced himself with a light greeting. They all gave him weirdly surprised looks.

"Guys, Makoto's awake!" Hina welcomed him with exaggeratedly. Actually they all did. Sayaka and Sakura had sighs of relief too.

Then again, he slept the whole day. That would give anyone cause for concern.

"Yeah, think I'll be alright today." He took a seat next to Sayaka, who beamed at him. "How have you guys progressed with the contest?"

The girls glanced at each other worriedly.

"Uh, pretty good. About 3/4ths good." Hina explained.

3/4th..."Celes?"

They frowned and nodded.

"Her majesty won't even touch anything or go anywhere she thinks is 'unsanitary'" Hina said

"That's definitely Celes. But you guys should have expected that." Makoto laughed

"That's what I said. Why did you pick her, Sayaka?" The swimmer grumbled to the idol

"Because, Celes alone with the guys would be a _terrible_ idea. Nobody expected Togami to take the initiative and roundup the others and if I had picked one of the boys then she'd be left with a group consisting of Mondo, Hifumi, Hiro and Taka and that is a worst case scenario. There'd be chaos on the first today" Was Sayaka's excuse.

"But then they'd lose for sure and we wouldn't have to worry about our secrets!" Hina argued

Sayaka sighed and put on a serious expression. "I know how you feel but winning and losing isn't everything, Hina. Not in this scenario, at least. Taka put on this contest for our benefits, to help all of us get along better. The reward and penalties are just incentives to promote genuine effort. I felt leaving Celes with the guys would go against the spirit of Taka's good will...and that's just unfair, in my opinion."

"I whole-heartedly agree. No matter the outcome, your decision was the correct one, Sayaka." Sakura added, feeling a sense of pride for her teammate.

"Thanks, Sakura." Sayaka said and then turned to Makoto "If you're feeling better, you should probably round your team up. They've just been lounging around."

"About that..." He explained his circumstances

"Wow...I feel a whole lot better about having Celes now. Thanks for the pick-me-up, Naegi." Hina said, pitying Makoto

"And you need us to give you advice?" Sayaka said.

"Something like that."

"In that case, let's get something out of the way first." Sayaka bent her index finger and released it between Naegi's eyes.

"Ow, what was that for?" He whined, clutching a red bruise on his head.

"To drive the point home that your problem is your fault to begin with."

"Yeah yeah, I know." He pouted

"If you say so. It sounds like you're on the right track already though. Kyouko won't ever want the teacher to expose her secrets so she'll definitely cave sooner or later. That said, it should definitely be _sooner_. Not just for the sake of the contest but because Kyouko won't really get over it if she's forced to fold because of time constraints. Secondly, YOU should have confronted her ages ago."

"Are we still on the blame game?" Makoto frowned.

"No, you dork. I'm _trying_ to have you realize that Kyouko is intentionally going to make apologizing difficult because you waited too long." Sayaka finished. It was like lecturing her little brother...if she had one anyway.

Makoto tilted his head. He was probably just dense but he didn't follow this logic.

"That's contradictory." He said, simply.

"Nuh-uh." Hina refuted him with a mouth full of donuts. "She's playing hard to get to make you work for it. It's not fair to her otherwise."

"Okaaay, so how do I 'work for it'?"

"You have to be forceful. Show her that you're sincere." Sayaka raised a fist. She was really getting into this.

"Pfft, Makoto? Forceful? He couldn't hurt a fly." Hina laughed

Makoto glared at the swimmer...which probably ended up as yet another a cute pout instead. He'd show her. If Sayaka was right then Kyouko just wanted him to sacrifice something.

...That would be tough

"And? What about Leon?" He moved on. Sadly, the girls went silent.

"Sorry, got nothing to help you there. More of a guy thing." Sayaka said.

"Same." Hina agreed.

"Perhaps you maybe over thinking that matter." Sakura interjected "We've noticed that you and Leon haven't been on the best of terms lately and as you yourself acknowledge there is no reason for that animosity...doesn't that suggest the answer may not be obtainable?"

"If there's no answer, what am I supposed to do?"

"If there isn't a reason then perhaps the source is irrational. In that case, you merely need to settle things in an equally irrational manner."

 A thin smile graced the ogre's features "My family's dojo has an old saying; all matters of the heart can be settled by laying it bare in combat."

"So you mean we should fight it out?" Makoto certainly wasn't fond of hurting others...or seeing anyone get hurt, really. Although, he also couldn't deny the increasing urge to hit the baseball star either. If it’s for the purpose of saving their friendship before things got out of hand then he'd be willing to compromise this once.

"I'll consider it...but resorting to violence can become a habit. I hope I won't fall into that pattern." Makoto frowned, regretfully.

Sakura agreed.

*Cough*

Makoto's focus shifted to Hina, who was apparently choking on food. As soon as she scarfed the contents down, she resumed her laughter.

"What's so funny?" He said, blankly.

"You want Makoto to fight? With _Leon_? That's hilarious." The swimmer threw her head back

"I agree with Hina on this one. Sorry Makoto but I just can't see _that_ ending well for you." Sayaka was little better and looked ready to burst into a fit of giggles.

Makoto turned red from embarrassment. Sure, he wasn't the _strongest_ guy out there but they could have a _little_ faith...

Sakura expressed disapproval in her teammates outbursts.

" The intention of the proverb is to release your inhibitions and convey your emotions through actions, holding nothing back. It is an outdated mode of communication nowadays but in my personal opinion, still very effective."  Sakura continued "I would rather you of all people not mock Makoto's efforts, Hina."

"Sorry." Asahina muttered, the joyful aura she previously exuded dipped drastically. Makoto didn't miss that discrepancy

"Hey...is there something going on between you two?" His eyes drifted back and forth between them.

"N-Nothing, Why?" Hina answered with a terrible lie. That only made him more curious.

"I kind of remember a similar conversation between you two back when Taka burnt the kitchen. If you're bothered by something, I'd be glad to help." He offered, subtly hinting that he hadn't bought the lie.

"Um...well..." Hina stuttered. It must've been quite an ordeal for the usually unreserved swimmer to have trouble talking about. Sakura made no move to stop or help Hina either.

"I'm not going to force you or anything; you can tell me when you're ready." Because she evidently wasn't ready to do so now.

"Thanks..." Hina looked genuinely grateful for the escape he'd given her. Now he was _really_ curious...

"Good grief, that's exactly how you trip flags, Makoto." Sayaka sighed, sounding half-annoyed

Flags? "Did I say make a mistake?" He asked worriedly.

"I wonder if you have that kind of time...or are you intentionally procrastinating to avoid dealing with your own teammates?" She teased

Still, she had a point that he had other obligations.

"Have any of you seen Kyouko or Leon?"

"I saw Leon wandering the third island earlier." "Kyouko was on the first." Sayaka and Hina answered respectively.

"Thanks, I'll be going now."

"Ah, before you leave." Sayaka called out "Did you see Celes on the way over?"

"Yeah, she was with Ryouko, actually." He muttered, almost having forgotten that strange interaction.

The girls were just as confused as he was. "Why?"

"I don't know but it sounds like they're up to no good." He joked.

-Third Island-

Makoto wandered the island in search of Leon but to no avail. What he had noticed were puddles of water on the road. It must have rained while he slept.

Nevertheless, Makoto found Mondo and some of his team mates in his path. Makoto hadn't spoken to the biker in awhile. He should catch up and maybe even ask for tips.

The biker's advice had been simple and honest. "If any of my bros ever had beef, we'd settle it with our fists!" It wasn't much different than what Sakura had told him.

"What are you guys making?" Makoto inquired on their recipe.

"Um. Some spaghetti and veal shit. Hifumi came up with the name." Mondo said, before catching himself a bit too late. "Fuck, I don't think I was supposed to tell you that!"

"Probably not, but I won't tell anyone if it bothers you." Makoto offered a solution.

"For real? Thanks...and that's a man's promise." Mondo smirked. Bonds between men were iron-clad to the outlaw and breaking them was not act not easily forgiven. Not that Makoto had any intention of doing so.

Makoto's attention shifted from Mondo to the other members of the group.

Hifumi was watching over Hiro with great anxiety- Ah, just now, the doujin writer swiped a pair of leaves from the Clairvoyant's hands and stomped on them.

Seems just about every team has a handicap of their own. He thought grimly.

But he didn't fail to account for Taka not being among then. There's no way _he'd_ shirk off his responsibilities.

"Where's Taka?"

"Huh? Oh right. That Ikusaba chick came and took him, said she needed help with checking some shit for poison. Not exactly too happy about him helping _dat_ group." Mondo spat on the ground after the last bit. Makoto surmised he wasn't happy about Chihiro going over to Togami's side like that.

"Huh, Makoto s'that you?" It was Leon, who had just entered the scene.

Makoto took quick breaths and faced the athlete, smiling. "Yup, I came to see you."

"Really? Thought we were supposed to meet up before, but you never showed up." Leon said.

 The mood turned slightly awkward.

"Uh...about that..." He scratched his chin.

"It's cool. You were asleep the whole time, after all."

Come again..."Er, how do you know that?" Makoto's eyes widened slightly.

"J-just a guess, nobody saw you for the rest of the day and you've been sick for a while." The stutter he made was suspicious but it was a logical train of thought.

"Watcha talking about, Leon? You're the one who got busted into his room that night and got everyone panicking over how he wouldn't wake up." Mondo interjected

"Ixnay on the shutthefrigginhellup!" Leon growled at Mondo. The latter wasn't the least bit disturbed the glare sent his way.

"Eh?" Makoto

"You wouldn't budge when we tried to wake ya."

"That. That sounds scary, I don't remember _any_ of that. Wait, how long was I asleep?" Makoto panicked.

" 2 days and you got that right. If you slept through today  too, then Kizakura would have called in the school and have them bring a ship to take you back."

_...Two days!?...That explains Hina's overreaction._

"T-That bad...huh...And Leon found me?" Makoto sweated.

Mondo nodded "Yeah, he stayed with ya most of the night too. And even the next day."

Makoto looked towards Leon and found the athlete failing to meet his gaze.

"Thanks, Leon." A smile, an earnest one crossed Makoto's lips. "You want to give me a hand and get Kyouko to start talking to me again?"

"Fine, just this once, I'll be the wingman."

He was so stupid, what the heck had he been worrying over? Leon was his best friend and he'd never do anything to hurt him.

\--

Makoto and Leon had split up in search of the detective. It was off the proper path and nature. If there was anywhere on the island to find any vegetables, this area would be the most suitable.  On that note, he thought it wise to scour the area for ingredients while looking for Kyouko and make up for lost time.

He found a thick patch of grass with beautifully colored vegetation.

He knelt down in front of a plant stood out among the rest; ah, this one had bright, green leaves and red berries growing from them. Now that he thought about it, the group hadn't really discussed fruit and it’s not like Taka or Kizakura ruled them out...

Makoto motioned to pluck the plant off the ground...only for a gloved hand to hold his firmly in place. Naegi whipped his head back to see Mukuro Ikusaba towering over him, looking disinterested as always.

"Not that one. Phytolacca are poisonous, _very_ poisonous." The soldier advised

Makoto gulped and quickly got to his feet.

"Thanks for the warning, Ikusaba...So there are poisonous flowers here after all." Makoto said as Ikusaba freed his arm.

She nodded "Yes. Just yesterday, I spotted what looked like at least two others; Moonflowers and Suicide Trees."

"Wow. So what do these Pyto...thingies do?"

"You can call them Pokeweeds. And they do what you expect deadly poisons to; they give the target severe stomach pain, weakens the body, gives them delusions and, in some cases, you'd vomit blood. Death is more or less assured."

Makoto shuddered at the mental image of those symptoms

...Wait...Something about that phrasing didn't sound right.

"That's too bad. Those berries look tasty." Makoto pouted. He was getting hungry

"That appealing appearance is probably why they're poisonous. In a sense, plants are alive and they could have adopted toxic attributes as a way to survive against predators that wanted to eat them. Kind of like you."

"Eh?" Makoto blanched. A lot of scary things were being said today.

Ikusaba shrugged, not seeming to share his opinion. "Although, this is strange. I didn't think flowers like these could grow here..."

"They can't?"

Ikusaba shook her head "These flowers belong on different parts of the world and, to be honest, they don't look _exactly_ like the plants I know of. Almost like they've been mixed or enhanced somehow;  Jabberwock island was an attraction famous all over the world. It isn't inconceivable that they'd mix exotic vegetation from near and far regions too.

"...You sure know your stuff." Makoto said curiously. Ikusaba never talked about herself...or said much of anything really, and as a result, he knew little about her. Maybe this was a good chance to find out her hobbies.

"Yeah. It wasn't uncommon to use poison on jobs." By "jobs" he assumed she was talking about missions from Fenrir. He couldn't even imagine what that was like but now he understood what bothered him about the way she described the poisonous plant.

She said target instead of victim...then does that mean..."Ikusaba, have you killed people using these?"

Makoto's tone was neither judgmental nor accusatory. Had it been anyone else, Mukuro may have felt scorn but the luckster's inquiry was honest and laced with an innocent curiosity that only he could pull off.

"Yes." She admitted. "I've used Moonflowers as well. Weapons aren't just the guns I bring with me, a good soldier will use even the land as a tool to eliminate their target. Does that bother you?"

He'd be lying if it didn't "A little but you did what you had to. I don't think I can judge."

"...I'm happy to hear that. I'm sure most would find it hard to understand a murderer like me."

"I don't think many soldiers have any choice but to kill in war but we don't discriminate against them. I'm not doing it to you either." Makoto argued

"There were times were I didn't need to kill but did it anyway." Ikusaba countered

"If there's anything in the world that I believe in; it's that If there's an obstacle to my objective, I wouldn't take chances..." Ikusaba expressed a thin smile "If someone's in your way then kill them without a second thought . You should try it sometime."

Ikusaba's proclamation was met with a thick and awkward silence.

Makoto couldn't even consider that advise, it was impossible for him. The thought of murder alone was dizzying.

"That was a joke." Ikusaba spoke. If she was telling the truth, he couldn't discern it based on her expression.

He wanted to change the subject to a lighter topic.

"That's right, I heard Taka was with you but I don't see him around," He wondered

"Ishimaru was chased off by Togami. He said I shouldn't be fraternizing with the enemy." Ikusaba said nonchalantly.

That definitely sounds like something the heir would say.

"I hope Togami's not _too_ bad." He felt sorry for her.

"He's a slave driver" Ikusaba sighed. "Thankfully, I'm good at taking simple orders and he _is_ efficient..."

"Makooootooo." A gruff voice called in the distance; Makoto recognized it immediately as Leon's. He probably found Kyouko.

"Uh sorry, Ikusaba. I have to get going."

The soldier nodded

\---

 In hindsight, Leon and Kyoko weren't very far off. There wasn't a need to leave Ikusaba behind like that.

"Are you feeling well?" Kyouko took the initiative

"Yeah, better than ever." He exaggerated.

"I suppose sleeping multiple days in would revitalize just about anyone." She said

"Hehehe." He scratched his chin. "Um...Kyouko?"

"Yes?"

"About what happened at breakfast a while back...sorry." Makoto bowed. " I shouldn't have done that without permission and I know it'll take more than-"

"It's fine." The purple-clad girl cut him off.

"Eh?"

"I'm over it."

"Eeeeh?" He repeated "You don't need me to get on my knees or be your slave for a week?"

"...Are you making fun of me?" Kyouko narrowed her eyes at him.

"N-No. I just didn't think you'd let me off the hook so easy."

"I didn't think I would let you, either. But I'd rather let bygones be bygones than have _that man_ expose my secrets. And even disregarding that...I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge on the ill. Honestly, I would have preferred if you slept a while longer. It would be better for your well-being if you had a real doctor take a look at you."...And there was none here - - Makoto figured was her train of thought.

"Uh, Kyouko? I was only a little exhausted, not a patient at a psychiatric ward. I'm good to go." He smiled.

"It does seem that way. Glad to have you back Makoto." She reciprocated the gesture.

"Holy crap, just start dating already." Leon's comment wiped the smile off their faces.

"Ah sorry about that. You guys were soooo adorable, I forgot I was supposed to be a good wingman and play the third wheel." Leon grinned

Makoto elbowed him in the gut, causing Leon to feign injury.

"My bad." Leon said, while laughing

Makoto couldn't help but laugh along with him and even Kyouko, looked at the scene amiably.

"Now we just need to find Ryouko and we're all set." Makoto suggested.

"Shouldn't be too hard, she's right behind you." Kyouko pointed over Makoto's head.

Makoto turned back to see Ryouko still dressed in cosplay.

"Way to ruin the surprise, Keeks. I was going to get the drop on him." Ryouko glared.

"What did she just call me?"  A dangerous glint shone in Kyouko's eyes.

"Ehehehe, let's not fight, okay."  Makoto tried to pacify the detective.

"Shrimp's right. We need to get to work." Leon suggest, uncharacteristically.

"What? You guys made up already!?" Ryouko said, surprised.

"Yeah, isn't that why you're here?" Leon asked

"Uh, no? I felt like messing with big sis and found you guys. I thought for sure you'd need at least another 2 days. Maybe even more since Makoto went full sleeping beauty!"

"Hmpf. Perhaps your analysis isn't as foolproof as you'd like to think." Kyouko sent a challenging smirk Ryouko's away.

The amnesiac gasped and then glared at Makoto, like this was somehow his fault.

"Don't get mad at me. I didn't do anything." He spoke in his defense.

"Tch, no biggie." Was her response but she sounded weary for some reason. "Time to start training you scrubs."

"Don't we have other ingredients to find? You kind of bailed on us before we could get going, remember?" Leon said

"Haaah? Do you know who you're talking to? I've already got all that junk."  The three of them were left confused by Ryouko's confidence. They wouldn't buy for a second that she did any sort of hard work without their notice unless they saw it.

 ---

Okay, so she wasn't lying. Tomatoes, berries, cooking, oil, mushrooms, vegetables and more had been neatly arranged on a table for them to see. In addition, Makoto caught sight of a large wine bottle on the side, along with a meat rack to hang the beef. This was much more than he expected from the girl.

Currently, they were using kitchen in the hospital. Why here? Because the more optimal spots had already been commandeered. The four groups occupied locations all over the island. Ryouko's group was on the third,  Togami's on the fifth, Hifumi's on the fourth and Sayaka's on the second island. The arrangement was made so teams could practice with their recipe on fair terms. Furthermore, each of them had been given a number of portable stoves from the market to practice on for convenience's sake; the downside was that the propane tanks powering them only had enough gas to last two hours, meaning each group only had a limited time to practice each day.

"Sorry for doubting you, Ryouko." Leon said

"No problem. I thought you guys would be angsting for a few more hours too so we're even."

"When do we inspect these for dangerous toxins?" Kyouko asked, examining the green on the table.

"We already did that, yesterday. Sayaka, big sis and me all looked over them together."

"...I'm worried we may be getting ahead of ourselves in this little game. Wouldn't it be more prudent to have every group present their items for checks at the same time?"

"Huh? If we did that, then everyone would have their starting times matched. That'd be unfair for the guys who finished their preparations early, don't you think?"

"This is exactly what I mean by getting ahead of ourselves. Our health is more important than some game."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about any incidences, Kyouko." Makoto stepped into the conversation

"See, Makoto trusts me." Ryouko grinned triumphantly.

"Um well no. It's just that I'm sure we can trust Ikusaba to spot any dangerous elements." Makoto elaborated.

"Eh? Are we talking about big sis, here? You're trusting her instead of me!?" Ryouko gasped

"Yeah, she was really dependable today." Makoto said, ignoring the analyst's incredulity.

"I-I've never been so insulted in my life." Ryouko moped "It's kind of refreshing though. Makoto's praising sis and she's not even here to see it. Ah, my hopeless big sis is both the best and the worst." She whispered to herself.

"You think that's enough?" Kyouko asked.

"We can compromise. How about we agree to having the other advisors make rounds inspecting everyone's food?" Makoto's proposed.

"That sounds like more work for me, can we refuse?" Ryouko said.

"Very well." Kyouko consented, also ignoring Ryouko.

"Fine screw you too, and we'll go with Makoto's dumb idea. But I'd have to let all the others know too. Aaaand we won't be meeting until tomorrow...AND that'll cause setbacks." Ryouko scrambled for anything that would deter them from making her work harder.

"We'll have plenty of time for practice and losing a day on vegetables, shouldn't stop the guys from learning the basics of cooking." Kyouko cast a disappointed look at Leon and Makoto

"True." Ryouko agreed

"Why do I get the feeling we're being looked down on?" Leon addressed Makoto.

"We'll show them we're just as good as they are." He was ever the optimist.

"Suuuure. Put your money where mouth is and hit the stoves." Ryouko issued a silent challenge.

 --The sprinklers came on 15 minutes later--

 "How?" was all a drenched Ryouko could say. Kyouko had already left to find something to dry themselves with and Leon was busy freaking out over his hair. Apparently, water messed up his hair-dye.

"Uh...I'm not sure." Makoto explained lamely. _His_ ahoge had miraculously remained upright.

"Explain your steps right from the beginning. It can't be that hard since we _just_ put the beef in." Ryouko's eye twitched as she spoke.

"First, I warmed up the frying pan for 5 minutes like you asked and then I started cooking the beef."

"...What about the olive oil before you started heating the pan?"

"....Oh, I forgot that little detail....hehehe." He stammered, cheeks turning red.

Ryouko took deep breaths. "Okay, maybe cooking inside the hospital wasn't a good idea to train you guys. Help me move all this junk outside and let's hope it won't rain again."

-25 minutes later-

" _What the hell!?_ " Makoto's ears grated at Ryouko screech. Thankfully, her anger wasn't directed at him this time. He peeked over to Leon's stove and caught Ryouko gazing at the contents of the frying pan in horror. 

"Yeah, I got nothing." Leon admitted while using a spatula to poke the charred piece of meat in the middle.

" _Nothing_ doesn't turn meat to _ashes_." Ryouko wouldn't have batted an eye if the black substance scattered into the wind the very next moment. "What did you fry it with?"

"Uh, the oil. I wasn't about to make the same mistake right after Makoto did." Leon scratched his hair.

"...Which oil?"

"The one on-...huh?" Leon paused as he pointed to the bottle stationed behind him on the table.

"That's wine. Why are you pointing at wine? Why is it almost empty?"

"That wasn't there before! I swear, there was canola oil right there."

_Uh oh_

"Didn't you check when you picked it up!?"

"No. I mean, I didn't have to. I saw it when I started, grabbed it from behind and put it back. It was right there!"

"How are you not flambé right now, you scatterbrain!?"

Makoto watched as the two argued, hoping they wouldn't notice that he was the one who took the oil and forgot to return it. On the bright side, Leon might be more cautious next time....hehe

Makoto motioned back to his stove and then to the side, where he spotted Kyouko staring at him knowingly.

_Ooops...she caught me._

_-_ 20 minutes later-

 Makoto frowned at the sight before him.

"I messed up." He said, poking the black meat just as Leon did minutes before.

"You overcooked it." Ryouko took it better than he expected. Maybe because he was making progress?

"Why though? I was watching you the whole time and you followed the proper steps." Makoto directed his eyes over to Kyouko and Leon's positions and found their food was still cooking on the stove. That indicated his stove must have had packed more heat.

"Maybe there's a malfunction." Makoto said, he was fairly sure.

"That's too unlikely, these stoves are all brand new. That by itself would make the chances of a malfunction quite small. To add to that, these were made for use at a state-of-the-art resort and there were dozens left even counting the stoves we're all using. The probability of you getting a broken stove is astronomically low."

"...Yeah, I think there's a malfunction, personally." Makoto repeated himself.

Ryouko raised her eyebrow

"Ultimate (un)Lucky Student, remember?" Makoto responded, without a trace of pride in his "talent".

The ultimate analyst shrugged in defeat. "Fine. I'll get you a new one tomorrow. For now, just watch me work and we'll hope you pick up some tips."

Makoto acted as requested and followed Ryouko to her station. He scanned the area and found that the girl had carefully selected the ingredients she needed from the main pile and kept it close to her.

Ryouko tied her hair into a ponytail and placed a large boiling pot filled with water on the stove. A timer was set immediately after.

After that...was a spectacle Makoto couldn't take his eyes off of. Ryouko daintily procured a cleaver, expertly sliced off a section of the beef on the rack and slid it onto an empty plate. The meat was promptly dipped into the pot and covered with the lid.

Leaving the beef to boil, she changed focus to the complimentary ingredients. With mechanical procession, Ryouko moved from dicing carrots, to onions, to garlic. Not a single movement was wasted on either task.

Afterwards, she split the tomatoes and threw them into a blender to make puree. The paste was then placed into a pot to serve as the base for the stew; the other ingredients Ryouko had tended to were mixed with the puree, stirred and then heated on the stove. She motioned towards lighting a  frying pan next and mixed wine and oil into it.

With preparations for the sauce complete, Ryouko took out the beef from the boiling pot and had it transition into the frying pan, just as the timer rung. For the next few minutes Ryouko tended to the beef and sauce simultaneously until their completion.

The finale was just a matter of setting the beef on the plate and marinating it with sauce.

Ryouko wiped her forehead, before taking notice of him after what felt like ages.

"So did you learn anything?" She asked

Makoto rapidly nodded his head. That was amazing!

"Great. Here." She shoved the plate into his hands.

"Eh? This was for me?"

"Yeah. I don't think you've eaten yet so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone."

"Thanks." Makoto grabbed a fork and took a bite. It was...."Delicious!"

"...Thanks. I'm not at my best right now so I was worried I made a lot of mistakes."

Strange because Makoto felt he was arguably more satisfied seeing Ryouko cook than eating the food, even though both were great. "Don't say that, It was like I just got a front row seat to watching a real chef at work."

"Thanks again. But you're exaggerating, even you could accomplish what I just did with a little practice." She replied. 

"I think you're the one exaggerating here..." Odd. Ryouko wasn't one to underestimate herself.

"Tell you what. I'll help you practice tomorrow, personally."

"Sounds great...but why not now?"

"Because If you'll excuse me, I'll be calling it quits for today." Ryouko said.

"...Are you tired?" Makoto wondered. She wasn't sounding her usual cheery self

"Yes, actually. Let's just say it's been a long day for me."

"Alright, see you at breakfast tomorrow?"

"See you then." Ryouko gave one last smile before departing.

"Should we pack up?" Makoto asked the others

"I'm out of gas, we might as well." Leon said. Kyouko followed suit. The three proceeded to clean up their respective mess and move the produce and other ingredients back into the hospital.

"Can't believe Ryouko bailed and left clean-up duty to us....Okay, maybe I can." Leon whined, washing the dishes and pans

"It's understandable. Ryouko must have worked hard to gather all the items we needed by herself, and in such a short time to boot." Kyouko replied, packaging items into the freezer.

"Fair, I guess. Hey, doesn't that mean she was bullshitting about doing nothing 2 days ago?"

"Seems that way. Now if only she could be that dedicated in matters that didn't involve pranks and alike."

"She means well...even...if...she's a little eccentric." Makoto tip-toed on a stool as he struggled to stow pots onto the upper cabinet. He couldn't quite make it.

"Understatement of the year...but whatever, she's hot so she's cool in my book." Leon stated...and then frowned after a short time passed.

"Oi, aren't you gonna make some witty comment, Kyouko?" Leon left the dishes and directed his attention at the detective

"I've come to realize being an idiot is intrinsic to your identity. It would be cruel of me to point it out when I know it’s impossible for you to change." Kyouko said, not bothering to look at the athlete

"Oh, thanks for the consideration...like hell I'd say that." Leon growled, but unlike before, their conversations felt natural and in jest.

"Pffft" Makoto giggled, still having difficulty with his task. "You guys are a rio-whoa!" He tripped over on the stool, stumbled and fell backwards.

_This is going to hurt!_

He closed his eyes, fully expecting to feel pain on both sides; from his back falling on the hard ground and the front where the pot was expected to fall on his head.

He felt neither, even the landing wasn't as hard as he thought. Actually it was kind of soft.

"Huh?" He blinked

"Nice scream there, buddy." Leon chuckled, holding the metallic container right above the luckster's head.

If Leon was in the front then...Makoto tilted his head back slightly.

Kyouko had caught him mid-fall from behind and collapsed with him.

"Could you get off me?" She sported an annoyed expression.

"S-Sorry." Makoto quickly scampered onto his feet

Kyouko did the same but in a far more composed manner. If Makoto had looked hard enough, he might have seen the red tint on her cheeks.

"You're hopeless, dude." Leon laughed at him.

"Am not." Makoto said, red from embarrassment

"No, I'm afraid he's right on that front." Kyouko agreed with the baseball star

Makoto grumbled to himself.

"Man, we'll finish clean-up tomorrow. Let's go somewhere fun." Leon brought up a suggestion.

"Like?" Kyouko raised an eyebrow

"Roller coasters, duh." Leon said, as if it was the most obvious conclusion

"I'm in." Makoto sighed.

"..." Kyouko sighed "Why not? I'll have less of a chance getting injured _there_ than in the kitchen with you two."

"That's the spirit." Leon folded his arms behind his head.

They spent the rest of the evening goofing off as friends without a care in the world.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! And unfortunately, this is still a setup chapter (but there are still hints) for the next to come. On the bright side, that should updated a lot sooner.


	13. Peccato Mortale / Mortal Sin

*Knock*

Persistent knocking woke Makoto from his sleep. He twisted and turned on his bed, hoping whoever was at the door would take a hint and go away. That or open the door themselves and state their business.

The latter was the option most usually took anyway so what was stopping them this time?

*Knock*

 _Just break the door down, I didn't lock it -_ is what he wanted to say until he was awake enough to register that was an act of breaking and entering. And in most cases, he'd be the crazy one for expecting good law-abiding citizens (or just about anyone with common decency) to strut in like they owned the place. It was probably someone like Sakura, Chihiro or Taka. Okay, not nearly loud or persistent enough for it to be Taka but whoever was there was probably one of his more well-mannered classmates and he'd hate to keep them waiting.

He dragged himself out of bed. He opened the door to see...Ryouko.

Did he say well-mannered? Was he starting the day off being wrong as hell _already_?

"Hi." She said, skittishly.

 _"_ Uh....hello? Did you need something, Ryouko?" Makoto looked over the auburn haired girl and noticed she was back in her casual, more modest clothing (which he certainly wasn't disappointed about. Nope...ok maybe a little) and clutching her notebook.

 "U-Um...let's head out...?" She said...or was that a question?

"You mean breakfast. We still have a bit of time...but alright. Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

Ryouko smiled happily.

\---

As expected, they'd arrived at the restaurant before anyone else. Much like the walk on the way here, the atmosphere was awkward to and their conversations felt disconnected. Could something be troubling her?

Makoto shook his head and tossed the suggestion out as quickly as it came to mind. Ryouko wouldn't know adversity if it slapped her in the face. She had a child-like perspective towards everything. If there was something she found bothersome, she would give up on the matter and not give it a second thought. If there was something she wanted, she'd go after it without considering mundane conventions or reservations.

Ryouko will have emotional dilemmas when Togami runs out of money.

Time passed and the restaurant slowly filled with more and more of his classmates. Makoto interacted with the ones he hadn't seen for a while. As far as he was concerned, everything except Ryouko was back to normal. Speaking of which, Makoto noticed Kyouko had glanced at the analyst's way several times.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with everyone." The detective started as soon as everyone was present.

"This is rare. Shoot, princess." Kizakura said.

Kyouko didn't spare him a glance and continued. "As a safety precaution, our team has proposed we have the advisors or anyone with the proper credentials to perform additional checks on any of the ingredients we hand picked from the wild."

"Again?" Togami replied, taking on his usual annoyed tone.

"I think Kyouko has the right idea. Its fine for us to have fun and all but we shouldn't neglect our safeties because of it." Makoto interjected

Kiyotaka entered into the discussion as well "It shouldn't be a pressing issue. We'll have Ikusasba, Ryouko, Sayaka and myself make checks on every group before the day is over."

"Why me?" Ryouko whispered in a low voice, but that didn't go unheard by Makoto.

"Thank you. Naturally, this also means today is the last day anyone can procure ingredients." Kyouko said.

"I-If you s-slacked so much that you still haven't gotten everything you needed for the recipe, t-then you deserve to lose at this point." Nobody objected to Touko's comment. Makoto took that as confirmation that everyone was already prepared.

"An excellent suggestion by Makoto and Kyouko." Celes spoke up and instantly became the center of attention. "But might I make one more?"

"And that is?" Kizakura smirked in amusement.

"Why don't we ante up the wager?" Celes said with a stone mask, while almost everyone else in the room tensed. Even her teammates appeared confused, indicating she hadn't not gone over this proposition with them.

 "Go on." The teacher's smug widened, as if fully anticipating this turn of events. That man had scary intuition.

"I would like to propose an alternative for the losing team's circumstance and an added privilege for the team with the best dish. Rather than infringe on the defeated's privacy, why not give them the option to submit to a more preferable punishment administered by the victors. Like acting as servants for a week, per instance."

"Per instance? Ain't that exactly what you want?" Hiro interrupted.

Celes glared at Hiro as if he were roadkill she wouldn't mind mutilating for good measure. The clairvoyant promptly kept his mouth shut.

"What does submitting to the winner entail?" Ikusaba asked

"Anything within reason and acceptable social parameters. But of course, this is still a penalty so the losers should fully expect to work hard at the whims of the victors." Celes explained

"What reason do any of us have to go along with all this?" Togami sounded as bored as his expression indicated.

"I believe I just explained that." Celes countered

"You misunderstand. Your explanation only works on the riff-raff who doubt their chances to _at least_ come in second or third place. Such a proposition would only be made by the team that recognizes itself as the weakest, therefore why must the rest of us consent to giving them an out?"

"Well that's..." Celes began

"Get off your high-horse already." Hina stood up and jerked her finger at the heir. "Weak my butt. Our cooking will totally blow you out of the water."

The swimmer exuded an aura of absolute confidence in her ability yet Celes was not the slightest but impressed by her outburst.

"Hina..." Makoto heard Kyouko sigh at the donut lover.

"Is that so? Knowing you're too much of a dullard to lie, I'm certain your confidence is genuine, which brings up possibility number two" Togami snickered in a way that that made it seem possibility #2 had _actually been #1_ "Celes has brought up this proposal out of some yet-to-be-established assurance of victory and has ulterior motives as to what she intends to do with the losing team."

"Isn't that a bit far-fetched?" Chihiro asked

"I don't see how. The servant penalty was phrased in a way that made it seem like the lesser-of-two-evils but without defined boundaries, only an idiot/Hagakure would actually _believe_ that."

"Hey!" Hiro shouted

Celes didn't so much as twitch at Togami's insinuation. Either the blond was off the mark or the Ultimate Gambler's poker face was truly something to behold.

"I will have to deny both of those claims, Togami. My only intention is to seek a way to avoid a punishment as crude as delving into one's humiliating past." Celes argued

Togami scoffed.

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so." Celes made a short glance towards Ryouko.

"Why is she looking at me?" The analyst asked nobody in particular. Her words were voiced in such a low tone that he doubted anyone but him heard it.

Celes coughed...and nothing else happened.

"Is there a cold being passed around or somethin?" Mondo said, referring to the illness that Makoto may or may not have.

"I don't know about that but now that I think about it, Jerkface might have a point." Hina said, her glare transitioned  from the heir to the gambler "Why _are_ we supposed to listen to you anyways? Heck, why didn't you run this idea by us first?"

"I merely thought of it over night." Celes said.

"You'd be better off putting that effort into actually helping us cook. Newsflash, Celes, you haven't done _anything_ since we started. What gives you the right to speak for us who've been working our butts off!?"

"Cease your squabbling!" Kiyotaka yelled and the room quieted down. "There will be no talks of dissent or resentment among us and especially not between teammates. This contest is meant to foster relations. If you have qualms with one another then come to an agreement in a peaceful and constructive manner. But know this: **I will have _nobody_ ostracized by their peers, no matter who they are or what others _think_ they've done!** We are all friends here so act like it!" Ishimaru said in a commanding tone that left no room for further argument.

"As for Celes' suggestion. I deem it acceptable. Though, I don't see much of an issue with the original condition, If the losing team is given a preferable alternative then of course there's no reason not to consider that as a solution. Besides, I'm sure Celes must have thought long and hard about this plan before bringing it to our attention. You should be proud of her, Hina." Ishimaru said.

Makoto thought his words odd however. Taka didn't consider his most embarrassing secrets exposed a big deal?

Hina huffed and said no more

"It appears my warning fell on deaf ears. No matter, losing is impossible for me in the first place." Togami shook his head and stood up from his seat. "Fujisaki, we're leaving. The rest of you can catch up once you're ready."  He said, referring to his team.

Chihiro nodded and followed Togami as he left.

"Tch" Mondo clicked his tongue.

How surprisingly obedient.

Celes simply smiled...although not before scowling in Ryouko's direction.

"...That was as fun as I thought it'd be." Kizakura commented, to _everyone_ 's displeasure.

\---

The rest of breakfast went smoothly. After eating a nice meal, everyone split off into their respective teams, and with only a few days remaining, they didn't have much time to play around. In Makoto's case, he was beginning to feel like he was about to hit yet another setback.

"Shall we get started?" Kyouko addressed the other three in the hospital. The heavy rain that suddenly came down doomed any notions of practicing outside but thankfully, he and Leon now had enough skill not to make same mistakes as yesterday...hopefully.

Everyone moved towards their stations...which normally wasn't a problem but Ryouko was supposed to teach him today...

He moved closer to the girl and poked her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me...or did you change your mind?  Makoto observed her working space and found...nothing. She hadn't a single item ready to go. 

"Ah...sorry, that must have slipped my mind." Ryouko stuttered meekly.

Makoto tilted his head slightly in confusion

"You forgot already?" _...forgot...could it be?_

"Guys, I think Ryouko's feeling a little under the weather. I'm going to make sure she's alright." Makoto told Leon and Kyouko, who responded half-heartedly, both focused on their own tasks.

"But I'm not-" Ryouko began.

"Come with me for a second." Makoto grabbed the girl's hand and led her outside the door and to one of the hospital rooms.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Makoto said, while closing the door behind him.

"Huh? You're the one who brought me here. You explain." Ryouko gave a nervous reply.

"Alright, be that way. Then answer this: what's my name?" Makoto crossed his arms and looked at the girl skeptically.

"Makoto Naegi."

"What's the name of the resort?"

"...Jabberwock Island."

"What dish are we making?"

She answered that correctly too. Although Makoto noticed her responses were slightly slower to more complex questions.

"Before the morning when Taka burned down the kitchen, where did I meet you and what did we talk about?"

"..."

"Well?" He pressed.

"...I don't know. It was a while ago."

"Your talent gives you a photographic memory. Use it and remember."

"I...can't. I can't think of anything."

"Because you've already forgotten everything, haven't you?" He frowned.

Ryouko stared blankly, aving been caught in the act. Her strange behavior was already suspicious but the procession of questions and answers made it obvious; simple questions like his name could be easily retrieved or she could have overheard it. More arbitrary questions would require more effort and she'd have to user her talent to connect the dots. However, Ryouko already told Makoto she couldn't analyze _his_ actions. And he found it unlikely Ryouko would forget an event that only happened a week ago.

"That was a mean trick." She pouted.

"Yeah well, you weren't going to admit it."

"...Are you going to tell the others?" She said, in a standoff-ish manner.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Don't...please..." She urged him

"Why? Are you afraid of their reactions?"

The amnesiac nodded.

 "This isn't the first time you've lost your memory, Ryouko. We're not going to treat you like an outcast or anything. You're our friend, whether you remember it or not." He didn't want to laugh at her almost cute behavior but Makoto smiled all the same.

"Really?"

"I mean it. We'll help you get right back in gear." Makoto offered the auburn-haired girl a hand

Ryouko examined it for a moment before shaking it and reciprocating the luckster's smile. "O-Okay, I'm in your capable hands."

_Capable huh? That tune will probably change once she gets used to me. Too bad._

"Let's go re-introduce you to the others then." Makoto moved towards the door and opened it...and in a horribly cliche'd manner, Leon unceremoniously fell out of it.

Makoto's expression quickly changed from mild surprise to disdain (as much as Makoto could convey anyway) as he understood the athlete's intentions.

"What are you doing?" Makoto frowned.

"Is there anything I could say right now that wouldn't make me look like a creep?" Leon replied

"No"

Makoto reared his head outside the door, hoping to _not_ find what he expected. Or rather, whom. Unfortunately he did. Kyouko was standing by the wall on the other side, arms folded.

"He dragged me along." She said, cooly.

"No I didn't-" Leon stopped halfway when Kyouko replicated Celes' earlier glare with frightening accuracy. "Yup, it was all me." Leon confessed.

A fit of giggles erupted behind Makoto.

"Y-You're all so weird." Ryouko said, trying to control her laughter.

She stopped as she noticed their gazes on her.

"Um...sorry."

"What's with her?" Even Leon could tell her behavior was off.

"She lost her memory." Kyouko said, succintly.

"For real!?"

Makoto gave her a strange look that expressed "How?"

"What I observed of her at breakfast was more than enough to come to that conclusion." The detective shrugged.

_Seriously? And here he was secretly hoping he'd got the drop on Kyouko for once._

"So what do we do now?" Leon asked.

"Uh. Let's get to know each other again. You can start by introducing yourselves." Makoto advised.

"Good idea. Name's Leon Kuwata, the  Ultimate Baseball Star and the coolest guy you'll ever meet. Please, feel free to come to me for a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g." Leon winked.

"I'm Kyouko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. Don't expect me to be there for _anything_ but if you're in trouble, you can count on me to lend a hand." Kyouko smiled.

"Thank you, I really appreciate your generosity. I'm Ryouko Otonashi, The Ultimate Analyst, and it's nice to meet all of you." Her introduction was completely un-befitting the girl they knew and caused the two to tense. Although not nearly as much as when the amnesiac drew them both into a hug.

Makoto looked at the scene with interest. Amusing himself with Kyouko's (very) perplexed reaction.

All the while, never considering the out of place contradiction. He'd cornered Ryouko based on the vulnerabilities of her talent...but when had Ryouko ever told him how her talent worked to begin with?

 ---

And so they returned to cooking. By memorizing Ryouko's actions the previous day and the directions she provided, Makoto was able to manage an average result on his first try.

"That's not bad, Makoto. And you were awful yesterday?" She repeated what he'd told her about his earlier attempts.

"Yeah. It's no big deal. I was just copying you and even then, the food wasn't nearly as good. I'm just adequately taking orders."

"Don't belittle yourself. Even progressing that much is an achievement worth being proud of." She ruffled his hair

"Well, I can see you're slowly getting back to normal." He replied, while making a futile attempt to straighten his perpetually messy hairstyle

"Just keep trying. I'm sure your next attempt will be even better." Ryouko encouraged. "Meanwhile, I'll go help Kyouko and Leon."

Makoto ruminated on possible mistakes he'd made in the formula while Ryouko went to the others. The problem was most likely a lack of culinary skill and experience. He was average at best at whatever he did, so he doubted cooking would be any different. Rather than matching Ryouko's movements, maybe he could try enhancing the recipe instead...

Easy to say but putting the idea to practice was a different story.

Makoto peeked across the room and spotted Ryouko with Kyouko.

"This is great!" The amnesiac complimented Kyouko's work as she tasted the sauce.

"It's nothing special."

Ryouko shook her head "The blend of the seasonings you used was perfect."

"Perhaps. I pinpointed the right selection of ingredients, as well as a balanced mix of them to bring out the best flavor." Kyouko said.

_That matters?_

Makoto had just blindly tossed in everything he could find into the stew. Next time, he would be more careful.

He shifted his focus to Leon, who was slowly dicing the carrots. The shapes were large and uneven, much like Makoto's own.

"Not like that." Ryouko advised

"Huh? I'm just cutting the damn things. I doubt there's any technique needed there."

"There is. Presentation is always important. Even if your food tastes good, nobody'll touch it if it doesn't _look_ good too. If the others are serious about this contest then appearances will be one of the criteria used for judging." Ryouko wagged her finger at the athlete.

"Also, you're too slow." Ryouko grabbed the knife from the boy "Here, watch me."

Just like yesterday, Ryouko's movements were almost flawless; she quickly cut up the vegetables and carrots as if she'd practiced for years.

_Strange. Even though Ryouko lost her memory, she's still that good?_

"Now you try." Ryouko told Leon.

The rockstar enthusiast took the knife and emulated her movements. His efforts weren't up to par but...they were great. Maybe it was due to the baseball's star athletic prowess but with the direction the analyst had given him, the speed and accuracy of his cuts were leagues better than before. Makoto couldn't even compare.

He sighed. He'd be the runt of the pack if he couldn't figure out a method to stand out.

_Think, Makoto._

A finger gently tapped his shoulder.

"Ryouko?" Makoto said

"Turns out they didn't need much help. Kyouko already knew what to do and Leon only needed a little push." She said

"In other words, I'm the only one still messing up." Makoto frowned.

"I don't know about before but I've yet to see any crucial mistakes from you. You just need practice." Ryouko rested her chin on her finger. "You might be thinking too hard; even though all four of us are cooking separate meals right now, that doesn't mean we'll do the same at the day of the contest."

"Huh? You never mentioned that." That was news to him.

 "I'm...not sure if i did. But logically, it' nonsensical to have a team competition and have multiple members make the same thing. Especially when there are even groupings of four. How would that even be judged properly?"

That...was a good point

"So why are we training like this?"

"I don't know what I was thinking but right now, I believe the idea was to get all of you acquainted with every facet of the dish. For example? Even though I think Kyouko should be the one working the sauce, knowing what the dish's outcome will be and all the ingredients that goes into the recipe will help her think of ways to compliment the beef portion."

"As for Leon, he'll be on shredding duty. He operates best on physical labor, I think."

"Then we're cooking the beef?"

"Yeah, so that's what you should focus on."

Only he wasn't really good at _that_ either.

"Just go at your own pace, Makoto. You don't have to prove anything to anyone." Ryouko said "-Is what I'd like to say but I don't think anyone would be satisfied with an answer like that."

Makoto whipped his head up and recognized a familiar aura of mischief coming from the analyst.

"The beef is the most important part of the recipe, and consequently,  you have the most important job." No pressure or anything

"So, why not practice different tricks to spice up the taste?"

"Like?"

"Ever been an artsy guy?"

"Not...really?"

"But you've used paint and stuff right? You must have toiled away painting items with different colors as a kid. Everyone does it."

He nodded

"Then you've got experience. Be an artist...or a scientist. Splash around until you find something that works."

"That sounds disastrous." He laughed.

"It probably will be, but trial and error can be fun. This is a competition but that doesn't mean you can't have fun while doing it."

Hmm. She had said something like that before. Having fun was one of the three rules to follow, if he remembered correctly.

"It would defeat the point if I helped you too much but I can give you a few hints. Be sure to think outside the box but also keep in mind the components that enhance the taste. Try out Kyouko's sauce and ask her for a bit of advice on how she made it." Ryouko instructed. That sounded like more than a hint but he wouldn't complain.

"Thanks, Ryouko. I feel a lot better about what I have to do now."

"You're welcome."

"You're kind of like a teacher, honestly. You sure you don't have experience?" Makoto scratched his chin.

"Even if I was, how would I remember?" Ryouko asked.

"True enough. But then, f you didn't remember us, why'd you barge into my room?" He inquired.

"...That's because my gut told me to. Even if I don't remember your name, stuff like that feels natural to me." She clarified.

"So you went with a vague feeling then?"

"Yeah. If my head's too messed up to remember, then I'm better off going with what my instincts tell me, ya know?"

He'd heard about phenomenon of that nature before. Information isn't simply recorded in the mind, muscle memory and patterns the body has grown accustomed over lengthy periods of repetition are retained as well. 

"But still, you came to _my_ room?" He repeated.

_Why not one of the girls?_

Ryouko nodded "I felt that was the most comfortable place to be."

"Uh...thanks." Makoto flushed. It was embarassing to hear how highly Ryouko thought of him.

_Even though she acted like she looks down on me at times..._

Makoto felt a pang in his heart. He was afraid to touch this topic. Ryouko was prone to episodes of amnesia and most of her previous memories would vanish without a trace. Even if she might subconsciously be able to retrieve other memories, that doesn't change the fact that she has no conscious recollection of the kind of life she led. If so...would that mean the girl he spoke to yesterday and so many days before that, had been replaced?

He was saddened at the possibility...for about a few seconds before any traces of melancholy dissipated at the arrival of Taka and Ikusaba.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I trust your preparations are going well?” Taka bellowed, earning the attention of everyone in the room. Makoto spotted Ikusaba trailing behind him and waved over. The girl shyly responded with a wave of her own. 

Although, Makoto’s hospitality wasn’t shared by all; Kyouko and Leon had taken standoff-ish positions to the others. He assumed because they didn’t want the recipe found out by the other teams. An assumption Leon confirms when the athlete called out Taka on the possibility of foul play. Naturally, Taka was outraged…and Makoto was skeptical to think that the moral compass had a single deceptive bone in his body. 

“Perhaps not you, Kiyotaka, but how can we sure Ikusaba will keep any information she sees here to herself?” Kyouko asked.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” The black-haired girl began. “I already know what you’re making.”

Everyone stared at her quizzically but she just smiled at her sister. “Ryouko told me from the start. She tells me everything.” Ikusaba spoke with honest affection.

The attention in the room diverted to the auburn haired girl and the others were not happy.

“I-I don’t know what she’s talking about!” She defended herself

“No shit. You wouldn’t remember even if you did.” Leon raised a point.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Taka inquired. Makoto explained that the analyst had relapsed and forgotten her memories once again. The compass was initially worried that this may serve as a handicap but Makoto convinced him the analyst would be fine given time.

“Very well.  After the inspection, I shall inform the others about Ryouko’s circumstances!” He yelled. “Now then, Ikusaba. If you please?”

The freckled girl went onto examining the ingredients…alone

“Taka, aren’t you going to help? You’re part of the investigation team too.”

The older male froze at Makoto’s question …why?

Kyouko poked him on the shoulder and whispered into his ear “He probably doesn’t know a thing about picking out toxins. Just humor him.”

_Oh…why’d he sign up for it then?_

_“_ Never mind, I guess you’re letting Ikusaba get some practice in by herself.” He really did humor the hall monitor

“Of course! It would be remiss of me not to allow Ikusaba to make use of her splendid talents.”

“Done. Everything checks out okay.” Ikusaba called.

“Perfect. That only leaves Togami’s group left. Pardon me, everyone but we must be going now.” Taka said.

“Yeah yeah, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Leon droned.

"Careful about the rain." Makoto warned. It couldn't be fun trekking to the fifth island in _that_.

The duo left in a hurry, once again reducing their numbers to four. Just before, the others returned to their assignments, Makoto called out to them.

“I’ve been thinking and I might know a way for us to win…or not lose anyway.” He fumbled with his hair “But it might take me a little bit longer to get down.  Just give me some time to catch up, okay?”

Leon and Kyouko shared a look between each other and then back to Makoto.

“You’re not exactly falling behind or anything…” Leon spoke first, not understanding Makoto’s meaning. But his words alone were enough to dissuade Makoto’s anxieties. Even if Leon wasn’t the brightest, he had talent for lightening the mood.

“It’s fine. Makoto’s never let us down before.” Kyouko said with a smile, Indicating  she fully grasped his implication, as he thought she would.

“True that…but he needs to work on that confidence. “ Leon patted Makoto’s head and flashed a grin “Forget ‘not losing’, we’re gonna win this thing, as a team.”

Makoto beamed in response.

Yeah, as long as they believed they could win, there was nothing stopping them…and so, he practiced arduously, with Ryouko’s close supervision.  The day of the contest approached when they’d put all their efforts to the test against their peers. Eager as he was to win, Makoto couldn’t forget the purpose behind the contest was a product of Taka’s goodwill and optimism. In that regard, even Ryouko had said an important facet of the game was to have fun…although that would be easier said than done for the loser.

For better or worse, everyone awaited that fateful day with anticipation…and yet, once the sun had set on that evening, he wished it never came.

\---

The showdown took place at the Jabberwock statue.  The clearing had been decorated with props such as  tables and seats  taken from the restaurant and the stoves from the store

”We’ve finally reached this point. I hope you kids prepared well…because I’m going to be pissed if I have to eat slop.”  A relaxed Kizakura sat at the forefront, with a clear view of all the students spaced out n the terrain. “Buuut I’m sure won’t have to worry about that, given what’s on the line. To re-iterate, there are now two potential prizes for the winners. Not only do they get cash but in the event the biggest losers don’t feel like toughing it out with their secrets known, they have the option of being the winner’s slave for the week. ”

“You goin’ to be the only judge?” Mondo asked. 

“Got a problem with that? Not like the rest of you are impartial or anything.” Kizakura stated his reasoning. Makoto had a feeling that he was also trying to limit any possible casualties to himself alone. Not like something bad would happen…and really, he’d probably be overestimating the fedora’s sense of duty.

“Now then, if there are no more questions…go!”

Makoto put his training to the test. He moved through the procedures centered on the meat with adequate dexterity, incomparable to the person who started many fires days prior. Whenever he had the opportunity to relax, he turned his gaze towards his teammates and to no surprise, not a single one of them trailed behind him. 

Sparing a glance at the other groups and he could see they were working in unison too. Even Celes was uncharacteristically helping out Hina.

"Yo, Makoto." It was Hiro who marched up to him

"Need something, Hiro?"

"N-nothing much." He was acting suspicious. "Well, maybe I need a liiitle bit of help with my cooking and you were looking pretty good."

"I can't help you, Hiro. This is a contest." Makoto crossed his arms.

"Come ooooon, just this once." The disheveled haired man pleaded, one hand reaching behind his back.

Makoto wasn't one to refuse an earnest request for help and thus almost gave in before a ball of red flew past Makoto's head and hit the psychic square on the chest.

“Ow. What the heck, dude!?” Hiro yelled, trying to wipe off the red patch on his shirt.

Leon held another tomato in his hand, threateningly.

Makoto cocked his head in confusion, implicitly asking "What's going on?"

“Hiro was probably trying to mess with the food. Ain't that right, scumbag?” Leon accused.

"I would never!" Yasuhiro did not sound remotely convincing.

“No probably about it. He's definitely up to something." Kyouko mused

"Come on guys, Hiro's not that bad." Makoto defended him.

"I'm almost certain there's a box of salt hidden in the back of his sash. He planned on ruining the flavor and setting us back several minutes." The detective replied

Makoto looked to the clairvoyant for an explanation but before the latter could fail miserably to defend himself...

*clank*

The sound of metal falling over could be heard nearby. Everyone directed their eyes to the source of the commotion.

"Oh my. It would appear someone's slop nearly dirtied my clothes." Celes said, staring his way innocently. Oh, she wasn't staring at him, but the person _next_ to him...because she was at Hiro's station.

"What the hell, Celes!? You totally screwed me over!" Hiro screamed dramatically.

"Enough, Yasuhiro. It was clearly an accident!" Taka rebuked him, not finding anything suspicious at all about Celes being there in the first place. "More importantly, you should have been watching the pot to make sure accidents didn't happen. Why are you fraternizing anyway?"

"I-was asking Makoto for help...hehe."

"That is against the rules!" Taka snapped "You're going on a timeout, right now!"

Hiro gasped, and then lazily walked to a chair out of the way.

"Bro, isnt dat' a bad idea? Hiro's a dumbass but if we don't get the sauce ready, we're fucked." Mondo questioned the efficacy of Kiyotaka's decision.

"Language!" Of course, that would be Taka's first priority "We'll have to make due with plan b, that's all."

"You're the boss." Mondo conceded.

Everyone else felt varying degrees of sympathy for the biker and sighed. Losing Hiro probably wasn't too big a setback but a handicap is a handicap and for Taka to place himself in that position in order to uphold his moral standards was nothing short of admirable...and worrying.

"Is Taka's group going to be alright?" Makoto asked.

"I don't think that's our problem." Ryouko answered. The sentiment was shared by the others.

The timer on his stove rang, signalling it was just about time to put his secret weapon to use. To his right laid a stack of alcohol bottles.

\---

Four plates were neatly placed in front of Kizakura. The quality of most would make some high-ranking chefs green with envy; the food looked good enough to be served as a full course meal.

Furthest to the left was the product Ishimaru's group. The centerpiece of the dish was a massive pork roast that gave off an aroma that overpowered the rest. The meat glistened after thanks honey to the honey glaze and was surrounded by large potatoes. It wasn't the healthiest meal he'd ever seen but that wasn't likely to hurt their rating.

The next dish almost deliberately contrasted the first. On the plate laid a golden, crescent-shaped omelette, dressed with cheese and herbs on the outer layer. What captured Makoto's attention was the filling that sprouted out of the opening, along with the side of wine glass to compliment the meal. From appearances alone, Sayaka's group had a definite advantage and the fancy additions screamed Celes' handiwork.

The third plate belonged to his own group. Comparing the current version to before, some definite improvements had been made. Ryouko made sure the beef was tender enough for a fork to sink in effortlessly and deftly diced the meet into into smaller and evenly shaped cutlets. Leon handled the carrots with similar procession as well as being responsible for the round and mashed potatoes. All of which floated in harmony atop the bright orange sauce Kyouko created.

_As for his contribution...that would be found in the taste._

Last was Togami's. As if seeking a balance between the first two, this dish was compact. On the side was salad touched with ranch dressing and in the middle was....wait, he didn't even know kind of meat that was. All he could say was that it leaked a gravy-colored sauce and had been layered with parsley and melted butter on top.

_No seriously, what's with that meat?_

As if sensing his confusion, Kyouko whispered. "It's Filet Mignon."

Makoto's confusion redoubled.

"High-quality steak." Kyouko brought a gloved hand to her forehead.

 _"We had steak!?"_ He whispered and yelled at the same time.

The lavender-haired girl responded with a half-glare and flicked his forehead.

"Ow." He whined, rubbing the spot she'd hit.

 _"_ Now then, time to get started." Kizakura clasped his hands.

For Makoto, he'd settle for having his mouth water at the sight and smell. After surveying the others' reactions, it appeared he wasn't the only one. Most of the guys (and Hina) looked ready to forget the contest and eat right away...but the repercussions for doing so were probably bad. 

So they were forced to stand there like dullards watching the drunkard of a teacher eat by himself. As much as Makoto hated to admit it, it kind of ticked him off

...

"Not bad, kids. All of these get a passing grade." Kizakura congratulated them after tasting all four dishes...and yet the tension in the air remained.

"But as you know, I still have to pick a loser. In order of best to worst..." The man lazily flipped a coin.

"Togami's group wins with a 100 points." The winner had been called.

"Yes, we did it!" Chihiro yelled ecstatically, causing everyone to look his way. The boy blushed and quieted down

_That...may have been the most excited we'd ever seen him_

Makoto would normally have thought his reaction adorable but this time, it was at his expense. They trained hard but it looked it wasn't enough in the end.

"As if there was ever any doubt of our victory." Togami sent a victorious smirk Celes' way.

The gambler didn't rise to the bait and averted her eyes.

"You sure about that, Togami?" Kizakura matched the heir's arrogant smile with one of his own.

"Of course. As if any of these louts could compare to me."

"Well boy, do I have news for you. Ryouko's group gets 98 points." The teacher stated.

"Woah!" Makoto's eyes widened. His surprise was shared by Leon and Ryouko. Kyouko didn't appear to be taken aback though. Because expressing large quantities of emotion wasn't something Kyouko Kirigiri _did_.

"What!? You're telling me _Naegi_ was practically neck and neck with me?" While the seething Togami was speaking to Kizakura, he was glaring at _Makoto._

_...Why am I getting singled out here?_

"Caught me by surprise but yeah, there was barely a difference. So I flipped a coin to pick the winner."

"So that was the meaning behind that pointless action? You're telling me we won on a fluke?" As if that fact only served to anger the heir further than a legitimate draw/loss.

"It'd have been a tie either way. Good on you for beating the lucky student at his own game." Kizakura smirked, clearly relishing Togami's indignation.

"Dude, how do the lucky student lose at a contest of luck?" Leon mocked.

"We both had a 50% chance of winning?" Makoto shrugged.

"Back to business. Third place goes to...." This was the moment of truth. Makoto's group was already in the clear...but the losers would have to be either Taka's or Sayaka's group. Neither of which, Makoto preferred but if he had to hazard a guess...third place would definitely be-

"Sayaka's group." Kizakura finalized.

"Alright! We're saved" Hina cheered. Sakura, Sayaka and even Celes let out a sigh of relief.

The same couldn't be said for Taka, Mondo, Hiro and Hifumi though.

"I shouldn't have to explain why you boys came in last. I couldn't help but feel that roast was unfinished." Kizakura explained his reasoning. 

If Makoto was a betting man, he would wager the reason for their loss lied with Hiro getting the boot. There was no way they'd be at maximum efficiency with _just_ three people.

"I accept all the blame. It was my decision to give Yasuhiro a time-out. I had hoped the honey would compensate for the gravy." Taka said, downcast

"Indeed it was your fault." Togami entered the discussion. "The point of failure lies entirely on your shoulders for throwing away one of your pieces...even if it was one of questionable importance."

"Hey, don't knock Taka like that. It's Hiro's fault for being dishonest enough to cheat." Asahina pointed at him, and glared at Hiro.

"Yikes." Hiro yelped.

The heir rolled his eyes "Perhaps but that didn't stop Celes from capitalizing on Hiro's own stupid plan. And unless my memory fails me, Celes is part of your group, is she not?"

"That's enough. I will hear no more of anyone being accused of foul play!" Taka yelled.

"Oh? And what was wrong with sabotage?" Togami replied. "Was it stated anywhere that we couldn't interfere with other teams?"

"Togami's right, Kiyotaka. The only rule I set was that you guys couldn't get an easy way out with the ingredients. Any other forms of cheating was fair game. Honestly, I was hoping more of you would be desperate enough to try." Words that should never be uttered by a teacher or any adult of authoritative status, were indeed spoken.

"You can't be serious!" Taka said, repulsed by the insinuation.

"You're way too stiff, my boy. Instead of chastising Hiro for his mistakes, why didn't you try to cover for him? You did nobody any favors by putting him on 'time-out' which is ridiculous by the way, you're not actually kids anymore."

"But cheating is wrong!" Taka refuted.

"You're parroting a myth. The only thing more unsightly than a loser, is a loser who was too incompetent to do their utmost to win. Cheating is only a problem when you're too stupid to pull it off successfully." Togami said.

"Rather then punishing Hiro, you should have made use of his...'strengths'. And by that, I refer to taking advantage of his incompetence and called Celes out on her charade. But naturally, you would never consider the possibility that Celes would undermine you, and she knew that as well. Why else do you think she so blatantly sabotaged Hagakure for all to see?"

As much as Makoto didn't like it, Togami had a point. The last bit anyway, he thought cheating was wrong no matter what.

But, that didn't mean he was going to stand for it.

"That's going too far-" Makoto began

"What of it?" Kiyotaka's growl silenced them "Even if I'm doomed to fail, I will never approve dishonest tactics. The righteous path is the only road suited for one who hopes to become the prime minister."

The moral compass did not relent in the face of the heir's logic. Each of them stared down the other with fierce determination.

 _But...prime minister? That was Taka's dream_?

"I applaud your will, Ishimaru. I really do." Celes interjected, clearly intending to saying more. "However, I wonder if you're even in the position to refuse Togami."

_That's right, the penalty!_

Kizakura whistled "So what'll it be, boys? Secrets out or slave duty?"

"I'm fine with having my secrets revealed." Taka admitted fearlessly.

"Whoa there, bro. I'm definitely not." Mondo called out.

"M-Me neither." Hifumi agreed. "I may not survive if my covert operations come to light."

"Ditto. You guys would never see me the same way again!"

_Um...Hiro? I think we know more than enough about you already._

_"_ I don't understand. What could you lot have done that would possibly make any of us think less of you? That would be worse than submiting yourselves to servitude at that?" Taka expressed profound confusion.

"Taka, I think it's wonderful that you think so highly of everyone but...we're not perfect. Each and everyone of us has made mistakes we don't want anyone else to know about." Sayaka spoke gently, without trying to hurt the moral compass' feelings or disillusion him too badly.

"I don't." Taka replied, still confused.

 _"Eh? Really?"_ Makoto thought

"Oh come now. This goody-two-shoes act of yours must have limits. You cannot honestly claim to have never done anything worth reprimanding. No matter how straightforward you claim to be, you are also _human_." Celes was skeptical.

"I'm well aware and I say there is nothing in my life to be ashamed of."

Celes scoffed.

"Here's an idea. If Ishmaru is so adamant about this, why don't we exclude him from the group punishment and let him have  _only_ his secrets read. If he has nothing to worry about then there should be no problem." Togami proposed.

"I'm down for that." Kizakura agreed. That amused expression had yet to fade. "What about you, Taka? You sure about this?"

"Absolutely." The uniform-clad man was adamant.

Kizakura picked out an envelope with Kiyotaka's name on it and ripped it open. Afterwards he flicked the white paper over to the middle of the group, where it settled down on the ground for Hiro to pick up.

The clairvoyant analyzed the paper in confusion. "Uh, teach. You screwed the pooch here; **this paper's totally blank** , dude."

"No. That's about right."

They all went silent. If Kizakura implied what Makoto thought he was...

"Eureka!" Hifumi said "I should have known all this talk about our deepest secrets was but a sham. An old cliche to motivate us."

"Nope." Kizakura refuted the notion. "I'm ashamed to admit it but Taka's piece is blank because I found nothing."

"You didn't try hard enough then." Celes snapped.

"No, for the third time. It is not that I didn't find anything, it's that what I was searching for _didn't exist_. Taka's record is _spotless_ ; there isn't so much as a blot that would rise to the level of humiliation."

"You can't be serious." "That's nonsense." Celes and Togami expressed disbelief.

"No it isn't. Like I've said, I've done nothing to be ashamed of." Ishimaru clarified...and yet he was still confused all the same. "And I thought the same went for everyone else here. I still do."

Nobody was able to meet his clear ruby-colored eyes.

"I can't believe that." Those words came from Asahina. "There's no way you can think we're like you. Y-You even _read_ about me."

"You mean that fiasco in your middle school? I admit I first had doubts but after thinking about it, there's no proof you were culpable _whatsoever_ and the Hina I've come to know would never stoop that low." Kiyotaka countered.

"What...the heck?" A stupefied Hina breathed lowly. 

_Whatever she meant, Makoto didn't know.  And it seemed nobody else but Sakura did either._

"I don't care about whether anyone loses the bet here but you can't expect me to believe Ishimaru is some kind of sinless human, the very idea is contradictory. Rather, It would be more sensible to call _your_ competence into question." Togami accused the instructor.

"I had a feeling you'd say that, Togami." Kizakura whipped out another envelope and threw at the heir. "That's for your eyes alone."

The bespectacled teen ripped open the envelope. What he saw inside darkened his mood greatly. His reaction alone served as a testament to Kizakura's ability.

"...Hmpf. Well, this has been an interesting diversion but I've had just about enough of it." He said and then turned to Chihiro.

"Fujisaki, we have more important matters to attend to."

As if the morning days ago repeated itself, the shorter boy recoiled and then sighed. "See you guys."

"Wait for me, m-master." Touko called after them.

"Follow me and I will file an official restraining order on you the first thing we get back to the mainland. _I'm serious._ "

"Gah!" Touko froze, nearly brought to tears as she stared at the odd couple's retreating forms.

"I-It can't be. Does M-Master Byakuya a-actually like that runt more than me!?" The writer despaired.

"I think he likes anyone more than you, Toko." Hina sweatdropped.

"He's picking that dick over us again?" Mondo couldn't believe his eyes.

"Seriously when did Chi start liking moneybags enough to hang out with him?" Leon scratched his hair.

"Is the problem not a combination of both?" Kyouko said aloud. "Chihiro's subservience is abnormal...yet even more out of the ordinary, is Togami's sudden interest in him. What could Chihiro have to offer him?"

_As usual, Kyouko was right..._

_Howevr before anyone could give the odd incidences any proper thought..._

"Hey wait. Since Toges dipped, that mean we don't have to face the penalty?" An expectant Hiro asked, breaking the mood in the process.

Kizakura shrugged. "The mood here's kind of a bummer so we'll reschedule that. Insteaaad, I've decided to let you kids throw an afterparty."

"What do you mean?"

"I planned on having the winning group prepare meals for everyone here. Unfortunately, as Togami and Chihiro left, we'll let Ryouko's group will handle it." He suggested.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. I would love to partake in a meal that could rival Togami's best." Sakura approved, arms crossed.

"D-Doesn't that just mean we have to put in more work? Are we the ones getting punished?" Ryouko stammered

"Yeah yeah, this sounds like a rip off. What do we get out of it?" Leon inquired.

"Aw, don't be that way. We'll give you a hand." Sayaka offered

"When do we get started?" Leon gave Kizakura a thumbs up.

"I'll volunteer too, if you're fine with me." Ikusaba raised a hand

"Of course, we'd be glad to have you." Makoto accepted the soldier's offer with a smile. "Though it'll still a while to cook everything again, even with this many people."

"I'm out of energy. I'll come by later after buying some donuts from the store." Hina said.

"Heeey, that sounds great. Can I come with?" Ryouko wanted to go along with her.

"Is it alright for the team leader to _abandon the team_?" Celes asked

"Sure, they don't need me. Asahina and I won't be gone long either, we'd be back once you've made around 40% progress."

"...That's nearly half of the work right there. I suppose that kind of irresponsibility should be expected from you." Celes sighed.

Ryouko pouted...Her old personality was quickly coming back.

"if you want responsible then I'll make up the teams:

-Makoto, big sis,  Sakura, Hina and Celes

-Kyouko, Touko, Sakura, Hifumi.

-Myself, Leon, Taka, Sayaka and Mondo"

"That should have been expected of you from the start." Sakura commented.

"Fine. I won't go." Ryouko deflated.

"If you're that hungry, I'll go in your place and bring back your favorites." Ikusaba quelled Ryouko's rant.

"Sis, you're the only one who gets me!"  Ryouko pulled her twin into a hug

"There there. I'll always be on your side." The older sister patted the younger on the back.

Everyone else were slightly creeped out at what would ordinarily be a heartwarming the sight. They were the strangest pair of siblings ever...

Moving on, Makoto thought the teams were mostly even, given what they had to work with. Makoto, Ryouko, Kyouko and Leon all knew the recipe so they'd be the effective leaders in their groups.

"Ikusaba and I will grab drinks on the way over. Just so you can't call us lazy." Hina pumped her hands into the air.

"Good plan and now that we're in agreement, I say  good luck. I'm definitely looking forward to seconds." Kizakura drank from his flask, hell bent on doing absolutely nothing.

Makoto sighed. He returned to his position on the site and flicked his stove on again. Just once more...What could go wrong?

 ---

It was nighttime now. And just about everyone was cleaning up. Most anyway. Leon, Hiro and Mondo were playing around and throwing food at each other in the background.

Asahina and Ikusaba had made good on their word, bringing supplies and condiments with them on their way back. It was a comical sight, watching the slender swimmer easily dragging several large bags with one hand and eating donuts with the other.

He on the other hand, was busy spluttering instructions to the other four members of his team, much to his humiliation. Makoto wasn't very good at giving orders; something the others picked up very quickly and lightly made fun of him for. And yet, they still listened diligently. As a result, the fruit of their efforts came out surprisingly well done, in the opinions of the ones who tasted it.

"Makoto." Kizakura called him.

"Yeah?"

"What's your secret? For the food, I mean" The instructor inquired. He had been the first to taste all the food, presumably as a safety precaution. Despite his unreliability at times, this man truly had a sense of responsibility when it mattered.

"Huh? Is there a reason you're asking. W-Was it bad?" He answered with questions of his own.

"Far from it; the beef was great. Don't tell the others I said it but your group was probably the best of the bunch. I couldn't tell who was responsible the first time since you and the other three were working together. But this time, I'm sure it was your doing." The man praised.

"Ah. I'm really happy to hear that...but it wasn't just me. Everyone worked on it." Even though they were separated into groups, they weren't competing this time. If someone from the other side needed help or advice then they'd mix to lend a hand. It happened quite a few times.

"Sure sure. But about the secret, how'd you _really_  make it taste so good?"

"Me and Ryouko came up with a technique. All I did was fuse alcohol brands to elevate the flavor. I'm not sure _why_ it worked out so well but it does every time. Even Ryouko said her combinations weren't as good."

"I knew it!" Kizakura snapped his fingers, pleased with himself for some reason.

"Knew what?" He wondered

"Oh nothing. Just ecstatic that I can still pick out faint traces of a good drink with my eyes closed." He smiled, satisfied with the conclusion.

"Really? I wish I had been able to taste it." Kiyotaka said awkwardly, overhearing their conversation.

Kizakura shrugged and went on his merry way.

"Agreed." Sayaka conveyed similar disappointment.

Their group tasted Kyouko's dish. His tasted theirs and Kyouko's had his. I guess the expectation was that all the meals would taste relatively similar.

Makoto lifted the lid next to him, taking note of a smaller amount of food left than predicted.

"There isn't enough for the both of two." Makoto said. They must have eaten more than he thought.

"In that case, feel free to go ahead, Sayaka." Ishimaru gave way for the idol

"Not a chance. The only reason we're here is because of you Taka. I insist you take the plate." Sayaka rebutted.

"Urgh. That may be but as a man, I can't act so shamelessly."

_That was definitely a Mondo line._

"Okay, then why don't we share what little is left over?" Sayaka suggested

"A wonderful idea. Makoto, if you please."

Makoto nodded and reached into the pot near him.

_...Huh, it smells a bit different._

The luckster scooped out the contents with a spoon and placed it on two plates. Neither meal was enough for one but given this was just a taste test, the quantity should suffice.

Sayaka ate first and marveled at the taste.

Seeing her reaction, Taka was about to next...until...

"DODGE!" Leon's yell was heard.

A familiar red tomato crossed Makoto's line of sight and hit Taka on the arm. The shock caused the moral compass to stumble and drop the food onto the ground.

"Whoops...sorry." Leon apologized

The heartbroken Taka marched towards them angrily, just eager to give them the lecture of their lives.

"How'd it taste, Sayaka?"

"A little spicy but...amazing! I feel bad for Taka..." She praised. " 

"I'm glad. Looks like all that training paid off." He boasted a sense of accomplishment.

"It...seems that way. Although I'm...not sure how to feel about a guy being a better cook than me." Sayaka said in-between small pants.

"You're all overestimating me. I had _lots_ of help." Makoto stressed.

Sayaka let out a giggle that cut off abruptly and transformed into a cough mid-way.

"What do you have to say for yourselves!?" Taka yelled.

Kneeling in front of him were Leon, Mondo and Hiro with their heads down. As apologetic as they appeared, Taka probably regretted the turn of events even more considering he was _crying_ while admonishing them.

_Note to self to make another round for him on a later date._

He felt dainty fingers shakily tugging on his sleeves.

 _"_ Those guys are too much, don't you think?" Makoto joked.

Without the expected reply, he faced the girl.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, eyebrows raised at her distressed form.

"I think it may have been too spicy after all." By "it", she referred to the food they made. "Are there a-any drinks left?"

Makoto took a gander around the site and spotted bottles nearby Ikusaba. He nodded to the idol and brought her over by the hand, taking notice of how it trembled.

The ever so passive Ikusaba caught sight of their approach and wordlessly handed Makoto a red water container at his request.  

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." The bluenette offered the two those soon to be ironic words of gratitude as Makoto passed the bottle over to her. Without wasting another moment, she hastily popped open the cap and drank from its contents.

...Makoto thought Sayaka was exaggerating. He tasted the food many times before, thus he knew from experience that it could not have been that spicy.

Yet Sayaka desperately and unbefittingly chugged the water, as if she was becoming thirstier in the process. With the sweat dripping from her forehead, that was arguably the truth.

"Um...are you okay?" Makoto asked worriedly. There was nothing remaining in the container...and yet she didn't stop.

Sayaka didn't reply. Instead she coughed even more harshly than before as the bottle dropped unceremoniously onto the floor. One arm went to her stomach and the other clawed at her throat.

"It...burns..." She wheezed

Makoto gazed at the scene with progressing terror. He wouldn't forget the sight of his friend pleading for help, tears streaming out of bloodshot eyes.

"Ma...ko..t-" Sayaka never finished uttering his name. A sizable volume of blood cascaded from her lips as she dropped to the ground.

Makoto's thoughts hadn't been able to process the sight before him.

*Cough*

_Huh?_

Like a machine slowly reactivating, Makoto mechanically turned to the dreaded noise and watched Ikusaba on her knees, clutching at her own throat as if trying to contain the life that was quickly leaving her.

"The...symptoms....too fast...can't be...How did?" Ikusaba choked out a thick red liquid.

Her eyes were bloodshot as Sayaka's were, however she emanated neither the degree of horror nor the tears the idol shed. Ikusaba was too strong for that. If Sayaka had been struck by an unseen force, Ikusaba had watched the world around her slowly crumble; there would be no hope of survival. It was a difference of awareness.

Neither strength nor awareness staved off fate. The Ultimate Soldier succumbed to a bloody demise all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regrets #5
> 
> "Your grandfather's a goddamn disgrace." He couldn't remember how what age he'd been when those words first struck a chord in him. He'd heard the phrase many times before and he would hear it many times after -- Be it from peers, strangers who merely happened to know him, or even his own family, the stigma his grandfather left on him clung to him like an extra layer of skin. On his 6th birthday, he learned the reason as to why he was often ostracized. His grandfather had trusted the wrong people and strayed from justice. On that day, he promised to never replicate the failures of old.
> 
> He would wipe away the smear on his family name with sheer effort and pursue righteousness with unrelenting fervor. If his ancestor had been done wrong by his allies, he would surpass the man by bringing them all to light. Justice for himself wasn't enough, he would act as a guide to return all who deviated back to the proper path.
> 
> He'd held onto those beliefs from elementary through middle school and won the ire of many. He'd held no expectations that Hope's Peak Academy would be different and resigned himself to a fate of solitude. And yet, his arrogant presumptions of others had been crushed. Here, there were genuine individuals who respected him for who he was. Among these first of friends, there was not one he wouldn't dedicate his life to. 
> 
> Toranosuke Ishimaru failed the entire country. He wouldn't fail his friends.


	14. Déjà Vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things to note: 
> 
> -Kyouko's PoV will be used quite a bit in this arc and she tends to be a lot faster and precise when it comes to dealing with evidence compared to Makoto. What appears obvious to her, may not be to everyone else.
> 
> -Some of the interactions and dialogue might seem familiar to that of the first three chapters but that's intentional. That's because this universe is parallel to the one of the previous arc's killing game with Leon, so there won't be too great of a divergence in how class 78 reacts. Except the murder circumstances of course - This time a certain someone is alive and quick to assume a leadership role.

After a period of deafening silence, a chorus of screams emerged.

But not his. Makoto stood still, eyes locked on the fallen form of his friends. Neither of them died gracefully, neither died painlessly, yet they died all the same.

“Nobody move!” Kyouko said, authoritatively. The others did as instructed as froze in their respective spots. It was a standard procedure on Kyouko's part. If nobody moves then the crime scene can be preserved perfectly.

**The detective searched through the corpses as if there would actually be signs of life present. There wouldn’t be, of course.  This was how Her twisted game worked.**

“Makoto…what happened?” She asked. **I know how She thinks. Despair is Her aim. But despair can sometimes be predictable...**

 “Snap out of it!” Kyouko forcefully shook his shoulders.

“E-Eh? W-What happened?” The unintelligible question aside…what was he thinking about just…now!

An immensely painful shock flooded his brain. His fingers moved to claw at his brain in a futile measure to stem the pain.

“Makoto!” He couldn’t tell if she had yelled.

He blacked out.

-Kyouko Kirigiri-

Even before Makoto fell, he’d been barely conscious; his eyes were narrowed to slits. The shock must have been too much…and he wasn’t in the best of health to start with. Kyouko called on Sakura to help pick up the fallen lucky student and bring him to the hospital. In doing so, she had broken protocol by allowing a potential suspect freedom to move. However she…didn’t want to lay Makoto down next to those two. That would have been inhumane

Moving on, this case was most likely...homicide. Yes, her examinations had already decided as such. Murder cases were her specialty and she knew poison when she saw it. Ordinarily, deducing the mode of death without any physical trauma would take days or, if lucky, the information would be readily available to her if the coroners had already worked out the details. However, this time there was not even need for doubt. There is no illness in the world that can kill humans in minutes, and from the absolute picture of good health. The only alternative was severe poisoning.

Could it have been accidental? Impossible, for after glancing at her classmates, she acknowledged every last one of them appeared to be just fine and neither the idol nor soldier had intaken anything the rest of us didn’t.

That begs the question. What killed them? And just as importantly, were they the intended targets?

Without excess movement, Kyouko examined thedishes. This was the difficult part. She had no idea what amount of was safe to eat and what amount would prove fatal, therefore she couldn’t test the food. At least not without risking her life.

The next step? She recalled the groups were they in. Ikusaba was in Makoto’s group and Sayaka, in Ryouko’s.  Makoto’s (Ikusaba) group had been assigned to eat Ryouko’s food.  Ryouko’s (Sayaka) group had eaten from Kyouko’s own. And her team had Makoto’s. That means Ikusaba's poisoning would have been a result Ryouko’s food and Sayaka from hers. Where was the connection?

Kyouko had completed her analysis. While she couldn’t taste any of the food, she could still detect smells. Some poisons were odorless but if they weren’t, she would have noticed a difference. After all, she had spent days working on this recipe. There was no chance she would miss anything out of place.

And she found that element…in Makoto’s food. There was a distinct smell that had never been present prior.  Certainly, the primary suspects would be the cooks…in other words: Makoto Naegi, Mukuro Ikusaba, Sakura Oogami, Aoi Asahina and Celestia Ludenberg.

They were the five in the best position to have tampered with the food. She could remove Ikusaba from the equation and Makoto…no, he could still be a suspect.

She was regretting allowing Sakura to leave.

But this information raised questions of its own; neither of the victims had been in the position to eat food from that group…Was there a point when they’d had the same meal? There were no rules against doing so and there had been plenty of time…time…When had the food been poisoned? It couldn’t have been before the group had collectively indulged themselves. It had to have been more recent…but how did they know anyone would come for seconds…and more importantly…why use such a roundabout method?

Where was the motive in killing _just_ those two and nobody else? That’s immensely sloppy for any reasonable killer.

There was also the issue of the drinks. She found bottles lying near the bodies of both girls but she wouldn’t be able to get anything from those items for now. Besides, judging from the smell, the cause was likely the food. That scent wasn't present in the water canisters.

_…As I suspected, I won’t be able to solve this case without Makoto’s testimony._

“Kyouko…” Asahina whimpered. She abandoned her train of thought (for the moment) to focus on the others. Some were still wrought with tears, others with disbelief and a minute few with acceptance of their situation. All had one thing in common, they looked to her for answers.

That was a bit of a dilemma. It was typical for the culprit to try to be updated on the progress of the authorities; it was a slip-up that often cost them. A good detective knows how to find a balance with giving up _just_ enough information and receiving so much more from the exchange.

Thunder struck for what seemed like the 50th time this week. It was always a signal for the rain about to fall. Kyouko made one last check and kept a photographic image of everyone’s positions in her mind.

“I expect it will rain soon. Let’s find shelter in the hospital and we’ll talk things over there.” Kyouko advised. They nodded their heads.

Good. With everyone together, she’ll be able to pick them apart and find potential weaknesses in their alibis.

“What do we do with them?” Mondo asked, hesitating at the final word. Assuming it wasn’t a façade, Mondo’s reaction was natural. Sayaka and Ikusaba would never move, speak or act again; thus, was there a difference between them and any other object?

…Togami would probably make such a crude comment at this point in time. She was almost pleased he wasn’t around...if it wasn’t for the fact that there was a possible killer on the lose.

“We’ll bring them with us and leave their bodies in the hospital.” No objections were raised, therefore she continue “We need someone to round up Togami and Chihiro.”

“I’ll handle that.” Kizakura raised his hand. As the teacher, that was his duty.

“The rest of you leave immediately. Mondo, grab the girls for me.” The fedora instructed and then made his way over to Kyouko. Once there, he whispered silently.

“Cases like these are your specialty, so I’ll leave you in charge of how to handle things from now on. Don’t keep them in the dark too much and don’t try to solve everything by yourself. Depend on others but don’t show weakness.” Kizakura advised with regret in his voice, and left before she said a word in response. His words were almost like a goodbye.

Her ‘specialty’ he says. There was no way Kizakura couldn’t have been aware that her specialty was homicide. He was leaving a hint…but he shouldn’t know nearly as much as she does without examining the crime scene. Not unless he the killer…but she hoped that wasn’t the case.

She wished that of all of them. If there was a chance of some other reason, she would gladly latch onto it. Provided that reason was true. Until then, she should believe they’re innocent…that’s what Makoto would want.

Either way, time will tell. She would make sure of that.

As per Kizakura's instructions, Mondo carried Ikusaba's lifeless form and motioned towards the idol's. 

"I'll take Sayaka." Kyouko addressed the delinquent. He looked ready to argue but Kyouko's gaze told him she wouldn't have any objects. Contrary to popular belief, Mondo Owada was a man who could read the mood.

Kyouko uttered a small word of thanks and then knelt before the bluenette. With a soft swipe of her glove, Kyouko wiped away the blood and tears on Sayaka's face and closed her eyes for the last time. Kyouko propped Sayaka's body onto her back and followed the others towards the hospital.

The aquatic fragrance originating from the idol's hair brushing against her skin brought forth a not-so-distant memory.

_Sayaka sighed loudly in her dorm room._

_"That talk felt great. I can't remember the last time I let loose like that." She stretched her arms out._

_"You think so? I'm disappointed to find out you're not the saint the media portrays you to be. I feel sorry for your fans, they'd probably hang themselves if they realized your true nature." Kyouko droned sarcastically and sat with her arms folded and legs crossed on the bed._

_"Then I'll make sure they never do." Sayaka joked and then planted herself right next to Kyouko. Close enough for the bluenette to rest her head on the lavender's shoulder._

_"What are you doing?" Kyouko deadpanned. Physical contact was...uncomfortable...though Kyouko didn't mind the fragrance from what she could assume was ocean-scented shampoo._

_"Bonding."_

_"Why?"_

_Pearl blue eyes stared into hers and were followed by a fit of giggles._

_"Because we're best friends now, silly."_

"Were you really so insecure that you'd find comfort in even _my_ company?" The stoic asked aloud. She received no reply...not that she expected one.

Kyouko's eyes darkened as a metaphorical flame lit inside her. Nobody targets her friends and gets away with it.

\---

“What in the nine realms is this?” As Hifumi so eloquently put it. When they arrived at the hospital, Sakura was there in waiting and looked even more disconcerted than before her departure. The ‘ogre’ led them to the source of her apprehension.

For all 10 of them to see, a large, grotesque crimson circle was fixed onto the wall in the main lobby.

Kyouko briefly considered the possibility that Sakura had drawn the circle. The odds weren’t high. Sakura wouldn’t have had the time to paint the wall before they arrived, and if the fighter did, she would have needed to rush. That would mean she’d also have to be careless, and traces of paint would find its way onto her body. Kyouko found no signs of coloring on Sakura’s skin (it helped that she didn’t dress in layers) or water, assuming she tried to wash it off.

That said, it was also possible the painting was made beforehand; anyone could have drawn it then.

“Kyouko, do you have any ideas?” Sakura asked.

The detective approached the wall and daintily swiped her finger across the marking. It came off quickly, suggesting only a short period of time had passed since the painting was made. As hot as it was on a tropical island, the liquid would have dried within a matter of hours. Now normally, she would have tasted to be certain of what the substance _was_ but Kyouko couldn’t risk the liquid being poisoned. If the culprit knew Kyouko was the Ultimate Detective; that would make her a target and what better way for a criminal to rid themselves of their chasers by trapping the crime scene?

Either way, there were only a limited number of things the liquid could be. Paint, some kind of juice…or blood. The first was unlikely as Kizakura patrolled the store regularly to catch potential cheaters for the contest; that included night time. The culprit couldn’t have risked running into him…unless it is him. She would need to make a mental note of this. Juice could have been made of anything, they didn’t need to get it from the convenience store. Blood…would have been difficult to find of that quantity.

Kyouko reached another dead-end. Instead, the focus turned to the meaning behind this appalling view. The drawing was occult-ish in nature (she’d seen her fair share in past cases). Why? Were they implying Sayaka and Ikusaba’s murders were part of some ritual?

“That is a magic circle.” Celes said. Kyouko faced the gothic Lolita. That was more or less in line with her deductions. What was the point though?

“Ms.Celes…how do you know that?” Hifumi asked. “Perhaps you’re the one behind this?”

Kyouko arched an eyebrow. Did Hifumi even realize what he was saying? He was implicating Celes to be a culprit. Perhaps not the culprit for the murder but for the circle.  That conclusion wasn’t entirely off-base, as the gambler is known for her odd tastes and is currently among the primary suspects. The problem lied in Hifumi making _any_ accusations at all and at a time like this.

She wondered if he realized, possibly subconsciously, that there was a killer on the loose. And if the doujin author had, no doubt the others would have growing paranoia as well.

That was good and bad. Good, because it meant everyone would be on their guard and without input from her. Bad, because the last thing they needed was a blind witch hunt.

“Behind what, Hifumi? This tacky design? Please, I have some standards.” Celes retorted

“That doesn’t prove anything. You could still have been behind it.” Hifumi countered

“I ask again. Behind what? Are you referring to the painting…or the murders?” 

The gates opened. All that's left was to wait for the flood.

Kyouko had no doubt that even a pin falling on the floor would have been heard clearly in the silence that now permeated the room.

She was going to have a lot of questions for the gambler.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Kyouko. You may not think me up to your intellectual standards but know that Celestia Ludenberg is not a fool. I realized it after seeing the painting. Someone is trying to send a message…and with the terribly (in)convenient timing of the death of our peers, I believe that message is clear. There is a murderer present.” Celes said.

If you’re intelligent enough to figure out the circumstances, then at least go further and _apply some tact._ Who knows what’ll happen now.

“Oi…what’s this chick talking about?” A stupefied Leon exclaimed. Though he blurted the question in the air, it was clear they were looking to Kyouko for answers again.

She sighed mentally. She didn’t like being at the forefront. Makoto was better at these things…oh well, Kyouko was never one to shy away from her duties.

“Celestia is correct. Our friend’s deaths were most likely intentional.” Kyouko answered their fears and the silence resumed.

“This…This shit ain’t right” Mondo recovered first, surprisingly. 

“You don’t pull this kind of shit on girls. There were guys, why the fuck didn’t they come after us!?” It was almost fascinating how Mondo was observably becoming angrier in the process of his speech. Kyouko should have taken his views towards women into account. She needs to stop him before he suggests-

“Let’s get out there and make them whoever the fuck is responsible wish someone poisoned them!” The biker finished…

Out there? Kyouko hadn’t entertained the idea of an outsider. It made no sense given such a person would have to sneak onto an open site and leave undetected by anyone. They would have a LOT more problems on their hands if someone that skilled existed. That isn't to say Mondo's words didn't have merit. Now that Kyouko thought clearly...this was a closed-room murder; the killer had planted poison in their midst and nobody noticed? 

“Chill out,  Mondo. Going on a rampage isn’t going to help anybody.”

Kyouko had to double-take. Those sensible words of advice didn’t come from her but…from Yasuhiro.

“You pussy, don’t tell me you’re scared of this sick fuck?” Mondo nearly reached for the clairvoyant before the shaggy haired man stepped back.

“Sheesh, you’ve got me all wrong.” He raised his hands defensively. “We don’t’ have to look for this dude…because I already know who _she_ is.”

“… _What?”_ Kyouko accidentally said out loud. To even contemplate the possibility of Yasuhiro discovering the killer’s identity before she did was mind-bendingly… _offensive._

“Whoa, even you don’t know either, Kyouko? Man, maybe I’m some kinda Ultimate Ultimate Detective then.” The idiot bragged. Why did she even consider that he might have had something worthwhile to say…

“The killer’s identity is obviously the witch of Jabberwock Island.” He pointed exaggeratedly.

Kyouko deadpanned. She had forgotten all about that legend. She wasn’t exactly a believer…but that doesn’t mean others weren’t. In reality, the magic circle alluded to the occult and on this island, the biggest name in that respect was the witch.

Did the killer draw this circle to throw us off their scent? It would be a poor attempt if so as nobody would buy it, which was apparently the case as Kyouko observed her classmates chastising Hiro for his foolish assumptions. But Kyouko wasn’t too certain this time.

“We might as well consider the possibility.”  She said aloud, breaking off Yasuhiro's verbal beatdown.

“Why are you humoring this lout, Kyouko?” Celes asked.

“It’s an interesting thought to keep in mind. I’m betting he has no proof of a witch’s existence but at the same time, I doubt none of us can deny his theory either. So we’ll leave it up in the air for now and work with what evidence we _do_ have.” That was how a proper detective should handle a case. Keep preconceptions out of their investigation.

Besides, even if there wasn’t a real witch. That didn’t mean there wasn’t something of a similar nature on the island; such as someone pretending to be this mysterious figure or perhaps the killer’s motives is tied to the legend in some way. She’d find out eventually.

Now before the witch hunt starts, she needs to make this an orderly procedure.

“Everyone, I’ll need to have you all accompany me into one of the washrooms, one at a time.” Kyouko proposed.

“Why?” Asahina asked.

“I want to get a proper picture of the events this past week, and for that I need everyone’s perspective.”

“In other words, our alibis.” Celes interjected. Was she intentionally trying to make my job difficult?

“No.” She lied. “I’m looking for anything out of the ordinary that might point to evidence. I also want the information to be as pure as possible so I’ll ask none of you to converse during this period. The last thing I need is for your testimonies to be confounded.” Memory was often unreliable that way. New information could overwrite genuine perception of events. Honestly, memory confabulations would probably happen anyway; that’s why she needs to isolate her questioning to no longer than a week.

“And what if you were the culprit?” Touko accused her out of the blue. How surprising that she would be the first to be singled out.

“You don’t believe that. Or else I’d question your intelligence for letting me tamper with the crime scene. But by all means, do try to resolve the situation without me. It would make me quite happy if you could.”

None replied. Of course they wouldn’t. Life is never that easy.

Kyouko looked to the time on her metallic monochrome bracelet; this was supposed to act as a safety precaution in case they went missing.

Kizakura had been gone for some time.

\---

“I’ll need you to answer two questions: Did you pick up on anything strange over the past week and, if at all possible, I need to know exactly what you’ve been doing since yesterday morning.”

Touko Fukawa: W-What’s that supposed to mean? A-Are you suspecting me? Whatever. When I wasn’t cooking, I was watching over Master Byakuya and making sure that runt didn’t pull any weird tricks.  They can verify that when they get back. As for this morning, master Byakuya called on us first thing in the morning to make sure everything was perfect, that goes for the rest in my group, I think.

Hifumi Yamada: Miss. Kirigiri. I must first declare my case; under no circumstance am I involved in this crime. Oh, you weren’t suggesting that? Very well. The ruffians I dealt with didn’t know the first thing about cooking. Sir. Yasuhiro was the most skilled of the lot, can you believe that? Most of my time was spent on excess teaching. In my own time, I served Mistress Celestia at the casino at times. But as I said, my compatriots were grossly incompetent; I was scarcely with the mistress.

Mondo Oowada: Where I’ve been? Helping out with the guys. Hifumi was a decent teacher but most of that cooking shit just flew right past me. I had to work harder cuz of that with bro. When I needed to unwind, I called up Leon. This morning?  I was chilling with Hiro.

Yasuhiro Hagakure: Yeah I was with Mondo this morning...and I’ve seen a ton of suspicious activity. Like one night a while back, I heard an inhuman roar on the fifth island; must’ve been the witch training her demonic beasts. Huh? They're my delusions? I’m telling the truth though…bah, forget that then. I think I saw Chihiro moving out at night with Toges but that doesn’t sound…Touko ? She wasn’t with them.  I spent most of my free time on visions. Makoto’s to be precise; some hottie was getting real intimate with him. Think he has a girl on the side-…Kyouko? You look like you’re about to kill me.

Ishimaru Kiyotaka: Huh? My complexion? I’ll be alright. I’m not much of a cook so me and bro took lessons together after group training. Otherwise, I performed my investigative duties with-…them. All I remember was Sayaka asking to share the leftovers made by Makoto's group. I-I failed them…

Celestia Ludenberg: I do not care for the culinary arts, that should be left to the help. Of course I wouldn’t slave away like the others.  I occupied myself in the casino, Hifumi was often there as well. However, I’m also aware that leaves me without a strong alibi. The food? Myself, Makoto,  Sakura, Hina and the late Ikusaba were the cooks. I did little but taste test. I can assure you that there was nothing strange about the contents when the dish was finished. Kizakura can attest to that when he returns. He was the first to eat everyone’s food. Likely as a precautionary measure…lot of good that did.

Aoi Asahina: Sakura and I train a lot in the mornings and sometimes in the night. I didn’t notice anything suspicious in the group. Well, Celes was rarely there and just went off on her own at times…though she got weirdly productive after she made that servant rule. Before that though, Sayaka picked up most of the slack…Kyouko, is she really gone?

Sakura Oogami:  I did not sense a presence other than my own when I arrived at the hospital. Whoever painted that circle was long gone. Hina? Yes, she and I regularly practice together and she has become much stronger since we began. Why the sudden training regiment? I promised to help Hina overcome her strife… As to what problem I am referring to, I cannot say without Hina’s consent, however I can assure you that it has nothing to do with our current circumstances. Celes, you say…That is true, I noticed her leave often but that was typical behavior of her. I do not know where she went…but I believe Makoto once mentioned she was seen with Ryouko.

Leon Kuwata: Seriously, Kyouko? We were literally together for over a week. You _know_ what I’ve been up to. The times when we were separate? Eh, I was hanging out with Makoto or Mondo.

Ryouko Otonashi: I don’t remember anything about Celes, she has nothing to do with me. I was mostly with you, Makoto and Leon. When I wasn’t? I’d room up with big sis, she gets lonely without me…or that’s what the notebook said. I…wonder how this happened. Huh? You’re sorry for my loss? Why? I’m just curious about how the killer pulled this crime off.

The questioning shed some much needed light; none was specific enough to rule anyone out as the killer but it was good thay most of their stories corrobarated. Save Yasuhiro's...questionable input. Based on present information, Celes was the most suspicious. Which might actually be a good thing for her; most intelligent criminals go out of their way to plant alibis whereas she's left herself wide open. The culprit might intend on using Celes as a scapegoat...or she's nowhere near as smart as either of them thought.

There were other trails to follow. Ryouko's lack of a reaction to her sister's death was worrying in a number of ways. Hina is blatantly hiding something and no offense to Sakura but she will be the one to decide what occurrence may be relevant to a case. Finally, Touko's alibi is somewat suspect...or Togami and Chihiro had snuck off out of her sight...but why?

Come to think of it, those two have been acting strangely for days. Mental note to look into that when they return. Although they're doubtfully involved given neither were at the crime scene.

 

 -Makoto Naegi-

The killings in the second round were silent. His friends had merely disappeared one by one. Chihiro, Togami, Ryouko and Kizakura had gone missing within the span of a few hours. Makoto and his friends searched high and low, unable to so much as contact the school without the teacher's assistance.

Togami's corpse was found in the library. They didn't know how it occurred but panicked all the same. Touko was hit the hardest...and disappeared the next. Her battered body was the next to be found. The others were presumed to be dead immediately after.

Hifumi was next to be discovered in a similar state as Touko. Similar in that his wounds were of the same nature but different in that unlike the writer, he lived, just long enough to name his assailant.

The killer was Sakura Oogami. 

The fighter had forced them into a killing game. An ultimate contest where only the fittest will survive...they weren't given a choice. They would either kill one another until one remained, all for the "privilege" of one free hit against her in combat. The alternative was to be killed right where they stood. She claimed this ultimatum was the decree of a higher power; The witch of Jabberwock Island.

They thought her insane, their assumptions were accurate. The unbecoming crimson eyes were a dead give-away that the martial artist was not in her right mind. Hina was the first to go; she argued against the use of violence to restrain Sakura and tried to calm the ogre down. It was almost impressive how cleanly her head was detached from her body.

Ikusaba retaliated. She did well and managed to wound Sakura...then died. 

The others opted to run soon after. Only Kiyotaka failed to do so after being stunned by the murders. Had he retained the composure needed for self-preservation, he might have lived a little longer. He didn't.

The survivors were quick to turn on each other, as Sakura proposed. Celestia was the main facilitator and poisoned their minds. The remainder of class 78 went into a frenzy, plotting one another's demise. Even Sayaka had tried to manipulate him and was thwarted by Kyouko. Only he and Kyouko had retained their sanity...and they were the only ones to survive.

Ryouko, Chihiro and Kizakura...he didn't know what became of them, but they were most likely killed as well.

Makoto and Kyouko had only each other. They would have starved to death before help arrived. Thus, the detective devised a plan to trap to take down Sakura while they still had the strength. 

Their trap seemingly worked against the wounded martial artist...or so they initially believed before the martial artist displayed strength that should not have been capable for the human body. Strength they believed not even she should have possessed.

Sakura boasted proudly of her invincibility, of how she had become the strongest human to have ever lived...if only temporarily. That power she wielded could only be attained against those who were originally weaker than herself, civilians who could never have reached the level of a challenge against her to begin with.

To Makoto, it sounded like nonsense. Sakura had always been a bastion of integrity and morality. She was strong, yet disapproved meaningless violence. Her life's goal was to become the strongest and trained her body through sparring. She loved nothing more than a challenge...yet right then, she claimed to achieve this by hunting the weak?

That was the first time he experienced death. Mere moments before the ogre's fists impacted his fragile body, Makoto could only wonder: Who was this person?

Whoever they were... **he hated them.**

The world faded to black...

Makoto was left alone, floating in empty space. Instinctively, he recognized this was a dream. He could never hate Sakura. He didn't hate anyone.

_**"...forgive"** _

Makoto's eyes widened. He turned around to search for the disembodied voice and found it standing closely behind him.

The boy in front of him could only be described as a twisted reflection of himself. His face was downcast, thus Makoto couldn't see the eyes beneath his bangs. His patented hoodie and antenna-like hair were nowhere to be seen but those were trivial differences compared to everything else.

**Blunt force trauma shaded the skin an unhealthy purple color; The mad warrior's relentless fists showed no mercy.**

**Harsh burn scars; The remnants of an explosion.**

**Vicious claw-like lacerations that tore through cloth and flesh; The mark of the beast.**

**Originating from the head, blood trickled down his face; Penetration via foreign object**

**A crystal blue fluid dripped through the opening of the mouth; A thin river of poison.**

**Deep indents circulating the neck; Strangulation's cruel embrace.**

**And the most flagrant of all, the perforation of his heart; The spear of Gungnir struck with perfect accuracy.**

Makoto felt like he knew those injuries...and what caused them. But that shouldn't be. He'd never experienced any of this before.

Had this person been living then they would paradoxically be, without question, dead already...therefore this _thing_ could not exist in the world.

"Who are you?" His question was mixed with worry, fear and revulsion. The urge to vomit at the horrid sight was not easily suppressed.

The aberration shifted and tilted its head slightly. Makoto was deeply unnerved. That was a reaction he instinctively used to express confusion...but coming from this oddity, in its wounded state only served to exaggerate his anxiety. It was as if the doppelganger intended to mock him and his question. If that was truly the intention, then it conveyed no satisfaction in its success. It didn't smile at all nor show any signs of pain from those horrible injuries.

The mirror image lifted its head and that's when Naegi saw it...from the one eye that could still open; jet-black sclera and a pupil that burned as crimson as the liquid that  streamed down from it. 

 ** _"I won't forgive them._ "  **It spoke.

Naegi realized then that he hadn't properly heard the voice the first time...because he couldn't have possibly mistaken that inhuman _noise_ for his own. He was often told by his friends that he sounded boyishly innocent or at times strangely husky if they went out singing.

He would have branded them all liars if that grating vibration he heard was his own.

That cold, reverberating echo penetrated the void and carried with it a wholesale of negative emotion;  obsession, resignation, sadness and at the base of it all, a controlled yet pandemonic anger.

_Ah, that is...despair?_

He woke up with panting breathlessly. His hands hastily roamed all over his body and to his relief, he found nothing. 

Makoto inhaled a deep breath and sighed. Afterwards, he examined his surroundings and discovered he was in a hospital room...he must have fainted.

The hoodie wondered what happened during his sleep and he figured he could probably get the answers from Asahina, who was currently resting her head down on his lap.

He tapped the shoulders of the sleeping girl, stirring her awake in the process.

"Huh...Makoto, you're up!"

"Yeah. I didn't really have a choice after experiencing one heck of a nightmare." One he was readily willing to forget.

"...That wasn't a nightmare. They really died." Hina replied.

Makoto blinked in the haze of confusion. She'd mixed up the cause of his anxiety...but she wasn't any less correct. What happened this evening was in of itself a nightmare. His heart sunk upon acknowledging the gravity of Hina's grief. But he couldn't just sit here and cry, he needed to overcome this despair and find out exactly what happened. He owed his departed friends that much.

Makoto patted the crying Asahina on the head.

"We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure nobody else gets hurt." Although, Kyouko'll be doing most of the work, as usual.

Hina wiped away her tears and giggled softly.

"I don't think that was supposed to make you laugh." He scratched his cheek...and abruptly brought his arm away sharply when he was reminded of how that...monster in his dreams mimicked him.

"No, you're right. It's just that you're a stronger guy than I thought. I feel kind of pathetic crying all this time when you're already on top of things." The swimmer clapped the sides of her face. "If you can be dependable, then so can I! Moping around won't get me anywhere."

 _"..._ Thanks _."_ He smiled at the compliment, but only on the surface. On the inside, it made him feel anxious.

"I could leave you here if you're still feeling sick, but I think Kyouko would want to hear your side of the story. She was in the lobby, last I checked." Hina said. That's right, the detective would need everyone's perspective to get a grasp of Sayaka and Ikusaba's deaths.

He lifted himself off the bed.

"Did anything else happen while I was asleep?"

"Not really. We've all been waiting around in the hospital." Hina answered.

"...What about...those two?"

Hina shifted uncomfortably. "Do you want to see them?"

He said yes.

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

He was a failure.

For hours, these words had circulated the whole spectrum of Kiyotaka's thoughts. He'd been so wrapped in his ruminations that he'd barely made out the argument everyone had in the lobby. What he did remember was Kyouko postulating that Sayaka and Ikusaba were  _killed._ Kiyotaka couldn't fathom why anyone would ever want to kill those innocent girls or what they would gain from doing so. 

Sayaka shined with more positivity than most. She was always on schedule for her appointments and never disrupted class. In his opinion, anyone who followed the proper methods to that extent was to be respected...but while Kiyotaka was ashamed to admit it, more than admiration, he had been jealous of her. The idol had achieved her goal at such a young age while he was still very far from achieving his own.

Then there was Ikusaba...the only time they had ever held a real conversation was by the beach some days ago. Looking back on it, he was sure the girl had some unresolved issues that plagued her. Problems he might have been able to solve...yet he had been so occupied with his own selfishness to notice and now it was too late.

Merely the thought of a monster so reprehensible, that they would steal those lives away, repulsed him to the core. 

He wanted to doubt that there could be such an existence, however Kyouko was among the most intelligent individuals Kiyotaka had ever met and he wished he'd possessed half her talent. If the detective believed murder was afoot then there must be solid ground. A murderer...likely existed.

Yes...he had forgotten monsters existed in the world. Thieves, swindlers and killers. Just like the men who stole from, manipulated and eventually killed his grandfather. They hadn't killed him directly but their actions certainly led to his death.

Whatever was the source of these murders was still an unresolved matter but what Kiyotaka knew for a fact, was that the responsibility of the girls' deaths rested on his shoulders. He had been the one to propose and organize the contest while knowing of the risks. He just believed that if they acted safely, nothing would go wrong.

Instead everything went wrong. Some villain had used his idea for their vile scheme.

At that moment of heightened indignation, Kiyotaka was through with wallowing in defeat. The moral compass would take responsibility but first, the truth of this crime would be brought to light-

That was when he heard and saw it. The first was the tapping on the window on the other side of the room. Kiyotaka was drawn to an obscure figure on the other side. He squinted his eyes but still couldn't make out their identity; their palm was outstretched on the window and he could at least tell they wore nails. Their hand changed position and now beckoned him to approach a motion of their finger.

Though he moved closer, he didn't rush in his pace out of fear of scaring them off. Even at this distance, he still couldn't see their face...but the figure and wavy hair was certainly that of a woman's. Kiyotaka was merely a few steps away. Just a few steps and their identity would have been revealed.

Unfortunately, it was a few steps too many. As if the weather itself sought to thwart him, lightning struck at the penultimate moment and the crash of lightning blinded Kiyotaka for an instant. Within that minute timeframe, the figure had vanished.

He ran over and opened the window. The rain hadn't fully subsided, thus it was not the sort of weather for anyone to frolic under. He turned in every direction and even outstretched his body, getting wet in the process. There was nobody there.

Had someone played a prank on him? At a time like this? Ridiculous, this wasn't the time for games.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru believed that through effort, he would become the future Prime Minister. How could he manage an entire nation if he couldn't even protect his friends? 

They should be cooperating now more than ever, and he would see to that personally.

 

 -Kyouko Kirigiri-

 Kyouko contemplated with her back against the wall. Inside he wide room with her were Yasuhiro,  Celes, Touko, Mondo and Ryouko. All of them doing little to aid their current situation...but honestly, she preferred it that way. The less involvement they have, the lower the risk of them getting in the way of the investigation.  Speaking of which, where was Kizakura? Surely, finding Togami and Chihiro couldn't have taken this long. Not unless he decided to search the whole island for them...or he ran into problems along the way...

She hadn't considered that possibility. In which case, some of their classmates may be in danger. She could trust Togami to handle himself...but Chihiro...his was a more discouraging case.

The doors flung open to show a rejuvenated Hina and...Makoto. That was good timing, maybe now she could get somewhere.

"He's awake, guys." Hina announced. The others responded with cheer below what would normally be expected. Not like anyone could blame them after what happened...and what they feared could still occur.

"How are you, Makoto?" Kyouko said. She had an idea just from his less dopey-looking appearance but it was common courtesy to ask.

"I'm doing alright." He smiled. She thought he'd have been more distraught than this. Then again, he was the optimistic type...

Kyouko looked to Hina, who corroborated Makoto's good health. 

Now she could interrogate him without having to go easy on the questioning. Kyouko grabbed Makoto's arm and brought him to what she now dubbed as the interrogation room. In reality, it was just a unisex bathroom stall.

"Um, Kyouko?" He asked, confused

"I need a recount of everything you've seen, especially what happened this evening."

"Oh, okay. I haven't noticed anything strange up until this morning and you, Leon and Ryouko were with me most of the time..." Kyouko listened on. It had merely been a whim that she started bringing Makoto with her on fairly harmless cases back at school. It had been a wise decision because of the way he'd be able to keep pace with her and without her needing to dumb down her intentions.

"Ah, there was something. Ryouko and Celes had this strange conversation a few days ago. I didn't overhear much but they were definitely up to no good." He sighed.

"When exactly was this?" She remembered Hina saying as such.

"Before Ryouko lost her memory. If they planned something, I don't think they'd have been able to go through with it and we know Ryouko's been behaving." Well not really. There was the possibility that her memory loss could be an act. A very good act.

"I did notice something about the food." He reached the focal point of the mystery. "Before I gave it to Taka and Sayaka, I think there was less of it then I remember and it smelled strange."

The latter detail aligned with what Kyouko knew but the former was new. Assuming Makoto's memory was reliable, then had someone eaten beforehand? Unfortunately, that could have been anyone.

"Taka didn't eat anything because Leon threw a tomato at the plate and propped it out out of his hands." Makoto said.

Kiyotaka was lucky to be alive then. Without Leon's interference, we would have one more dead among our ranks.

"Sayaka drank from the canister and...well you know the rest" He finished.

"You didn't see Ikusaba eating or drinking anything?"

"I don't remember...but I'm sure she drank from the bottles." He replied

Perhaps Ikusaba had been the unlucky one? Makoto couldn't confirm that the soldier hadn't taken from the contents of the pot...No, that was strange in of itself.  The poison is a constant factor and killed Sayaka frighteningly quickly. If Ikusaba ate first then she would have died and alerted us before, not after. Then could the water have been poisoned instead? That was also doubtful because from what she learned from Makoto's explanation, Sayaka was definitely poisoned by the cooking.

But assuming the water was the true murder weapon then the one with the easiest access would have been...Hina. She had been the one to suggest a trip to the store and brought the canisters back with her...but Kyouko couldn't imagine the swimmer was capable of committing such a crime...

"Thanks for the assistance. I've got a clearer picture of the situation now." Not entirely true. She was getting more questions than answers at this rate, but that was all part of the job.

"No problem." He smiled.

Kyouko arched an eyebrow at that

"...I'm sure it must have been painful to recall those memories so soon."

"Yeah...still, I think we need to solve this case. Mourning can come after that."

"I see, you can go rest now. I'll take things from here." Kyouko didn't miss the 'we' part of his sentence.

"Huh? You're not letting me help?" He asked, wide-eyed.

"You've already helped quite a bit." But anymore and he'd be a hindrance. Perhaps if his condition had been more stable, she might have reconsidered.

"You think I'll get in the way." His eyes narrowed, he saw through her tactic. Patronizing him used to work, but he'd apparently gotten wise to her mannerisms.

Kyouko sighed

"Yes." She said, simply. Much like how he'd grown accustomed to her quirks, she'd also learned just as much about him. Makoto was normally passive, except at times where he was pertinacious to a fault. This was probably going to be one of those times.

"I'll investigate by myself if you won't take me along." He stated, as expected.

...

"I have to wonder where that stubbornness of yours comes from." Kyouko smiled

"Eh? I wouldn't say I'm stubborn. Although if it came from anywhere...I think it's a lesson I learnt from a teacher in middle school. See, I was the type to get into trouble and eventually I even got the faculty office's attention; they blamed me whenever school property was damaged. I told them it was just bad luck but they didn't believe me." He said, crossed his arms. She could buy that. Makoto was a walking hazard, one so ridiculous that you'd need to see him in action to believe it.

"Elaborate." She said. This was probably a nonsense story, but it would be a welcome break from their current predicament.

"For what it's worth, the instructor I mentioned _did_ believe me. She gave me some advice one day and said I needed to stick up for myself more." He narrated. That was a typical saying for a teacher.

"Well, to be precise, what she actually said was 'If there's something you really want, then go after it at full force. Right until you're too much of a pain in the ass for anyone else to even want to stop you from obtaining it.'' The luckster let out an awkward laugh. 

"Then what?" She asked. 

"Hm? I took her advice. That's all."

"...That's it? You just learned how to be obstinate one day because a teacher _told_ you to?"

"Yup." He nodded.

A worthless story...but it cleared a few things up. In hindsight, Makoto had learned how to assist her in cases _too_ quickly. For someone who claimed to be average, the rate at which he could be indoctrinated was outstanding. She needs to remember to keep him away from bad influences...like Yasuhiro.

Kyouko frowned. Rather than the future, she needs to be focusing on the present. The mini-break was nice but they were still in danger. 

"Makoto, we'll be going to look for Chihiro, Togami and Kizakura." Kyouko said.

"They're not here?" He asked.

"No. Kizakura went to look for the other two but he should have been back long ago."

Makoto was quick to understand "When are we leaving?"

"Now." 

"Alright...I already said my goodbyes anyway."

"To whom?" Kyouko looked puzzled. He couldn't mean...

"Sayaka and Mukuro." He said matter-of-factly.

She gasped lightly "You saw the bodies?" In his condition? When he'd fainted earlier? Sakura may have cleaned the bodies but those were still fresh corpses.

A lapse in judgement doesn't even begin to describe how irresponsible that was. What was Hina thinking letting him go through with that? He could have easily relapsed, or worse.

Or...could that have been the intention? It isn't uncommon for the culprit to try to incapacitate a key witness.

"I felt I had to, you know?" His expression was neutral.

Those were admirable words and Kyouko respected the resolve that came with them...though that didn't mean she liked it. Makoto was squeamish and easily rattled even on the best of days and that was how Kyouko preferred him. That was _normal_. As sick as he is now, the ease of his acceptance was disturbing. Kyouko had known the sight of dead bodies since she was a child; many of corpses had belonged to love ones, and so Kyouko was no stranger to loss. She was also no stranger to betrayal either. These incidences were mostly what tempered her emotionally detached disposition.

Then what was Makoto's excuse?

...

"Kyouko, we've got a problem!" Yasuhiro barged in to the room, just as she was about prod further. How does he consistently manage to time his arrivals so poorly?

"What?" She snapped

"The girls have lost it!" He screamed

Oh...that was faster than she thought.

The trio dashed out of the washroom and headed to the lobby. Kyouko couldn't hide her disappointment. Shifting blame in times of great stress was human nature but she hoped her classmates would have been strong enough to cope regardless. At least Makoto was with them now. Maybe he could calm those idiots down.

They reached the doors quickly and opened it with grim expectations.

"Stop fighting!" Makoto yelled. For which, he received many strange looks...from Mondo, Touko, Celes, Sakura, Hina, Kiyotaka, Leon and Ryouko. They all stood there... _orderly_.

Kyouko and Makoto replicated those bewildered stares and directed them at Yasuhiro; the detective being far more annoyed than the luckster.

"They... _were_ fighting."

She would have words with this man when everything was said and done. For now, Kyouko focused on the others, where she found (a soaked) Kiyotaka had taken on a commanding presence in the center.

"Kyouko, Makoto. You've both arrived just in time." KIyotaka said in a loud voice.

"For?" Makoto asked.

"My declaration! From now on, I'll be taking charge and my first decree is that there will be no infighting in this school environment!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it/weren't too mindfucked. I've been extremely busy with exams but those are done with now, so I'll be free to update this and other works very soon. That includes the final installment of the Transcience/Indolence series, which should be posted within the week.
> 
> Happy holidays and stay safe!


	15. Confessionale/Confessional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this chapter on I'm changing how I spell some of the character's name, because screw continuity.

The group shared stupefied looks at Kiyotaka's proclamation. In this time of crisis, they needed a proper a leader.

"Uh...wasn't Kyoko the boss?" Hina made a valid point. Kiyotaka turned to the sleuth.

"I don't really care. Actually, feel free to take the reigns, my work will go smoother that way." Kyoko was ever the voice of the reason! As expected of one the more level headed people he'd ever met.

"With Kyoko's consent, I intend to dispel any and all uncertainties between us!" Just earlier, Kiyotaka had walked into his friends bickering pointlessly. And over equally pointless accusations. The prefect had given the current situation some thought and came to the rightful conclusion that not one of them could be the killer. They all lacked the capacity for malice. The others just needed to be made _aware_ of that fact.

"How pray tell, will _you_ manage that?" Celes was skeptical. He'd have to change that too! He couldn't fulfill his duties as leader without earning the absolute faith over those he led.

"Worse yet, It would appear I've already been branded a killer in the minds of some." The gambler glanced at Hina, who in turn glared back.

"You're the only one shady enough to pull off a sick crime like this." Hina snapped.

"Really? I do believe there might be a touch of bias in that accusation...considering we're in the midst of a veritable serial killer herself." And Celes passed the ball onto Toko.

"D-Don't look at me! I haven't killed anyone or turned into Syo in forever." Toko cowered from the gazes sent her way.

"That is going too far!" Kiyotaka bellowed, regaining control over the scenario "Both Toko and Genocider have been rehabilitated. We all saw to this personally, as a class!" It had come as quite a shock to learn of Toko Fukawa's split personality disorder. Togami had abruptly raised the issue one day, to the author's surprise. Kiyotaka was initially on board for handing Toko off to the police, however after hearing her side of the story, he couldn't help but pity the girl. She had little control over her other half, and Kiyotaka being the son of a police chief, knew full well how 'criminals' with her condition and murder record were treated. Toko would either be given the death penalty or sent to a mental ward. Whichever was worse, was up to the flip of a coin - Is what Takaaki Ishimaru once told him. Therefore, if he _could_  assist Toko, then he'd go the extra-mile. Everyone in the class agreed, and decided this was a secret they'd take with them to the grave. 

"I-I don't need your help, so b-back off. I won't thank you!" Toko rambled, pointing at the prefect.

"While I'm not sure if Kiyotaka's reason holds water, the probability of Genocider being the culprit is not very high. Not only are the methods grossly inconsistent, but the choice of targets is equally nonsensical. Genocider goes after males...Sayaka and Ikusaba weren't." Kyoko stated what should have been apparently obvious to everyone.

"See, it has to be Celes." With the amount of venom Hina stocked into uttering the gambler's name, it was evident her crusade against the self-proclaimed queen of liars was far from over.

"Do you have any _proof_?" The gothic lolita kept a strong poker face, but even Kiyotaka could see she wasn't beyond exasperation. But that was his chance to step in.

" _I do."_ The Ultimate moral compass interjected, drawing a few raised eyebrows his way. "Ah, I mean I have proof that nobody here could be the culprit."

"Now this I gotta see." Leon commented, the whole time he'd made sure to stay faaar away from the girls and any sharp or dangerous objects.

With a big smile that didn't fit the situation, Kiyotaka pulled out a stack of envelopes "Remember these?"

"The envelopes with our secrets." Kyoko answered, giving Kiyotaka her utmost attention. "Where did you get those? Kizakura was supposed to have them."

"The instructor handed them off to me, saying he didn't have a use for them anymore." Kizakura  _also_ said they'd be better off in his hands, whatever _that_ was supposed to mean.

"...I see. And am I to assume you plan to reveal them here?" The detective sounded like she knew exactly what he was planning.

"That is the idea." 

"Woah woah, I didn't sign up for this, dudes and dudettes." Hiro entered the fray. 

"Is there a problem?"

"If he doesn't have one, I do. What good will humiliating ourselves do here?" Celes said. Strange how the mere mention of the envelopes bothered her far more than any of Hina's accusations. On that note, Hina herself miraculously agreed.

"Calm down and think about my intentions _clearly_. We have a killer on the loose. According to Kyoko, our friends'...passing, was no accident and it certainly wasn't a case of self-defense. Is that right?" Kiyotaka asked the lavender-haired girl.

"Yes. This is first-degree murder. Most likely planned far ahead of time." She replied.

"Exactly. The killings were _planned_." Kiyotaka huffed. "Someone just doesn't start planning murders out of nowhere, this is _real life_. There are always signs and patterns. We've known each other for years. We have no motive to attack one another, and It's not like any of us have been acting  _differently_ recently."

Strange. He thought Kyoko agreed, but she expressed slight shock at his statement. Kiyotaka wasn't the most perceptive guy around, but Kyoko was, as his friends called her, an cold as ice. If she showed emotion, _it stood out._ And he could have sworn she glanced at Makoto, who seemed too deep in his own thoughts to notice.

"I don't get it. I mean, couldn't one of us just be really good at hiding shit? It's not impossible." Bro had objections too, but he was missing the point! Although thankfully, it appeared quite a few others understood his implications.

"I get it." Celes said, reluctantly. Very reluctantly.

"Mondo, I believe that is precisely what the envelopes are for. Our most hidden deeds are stashed there. If there are no records that suggests any of us are capable of murder, then we would be exempt from suspicion." Sakura explained

"Huh...so that's it. " Mondo looked downwards, unable to present an argument but wasn't all for his plan.

"W-Wait. How do we even know what's in those envelopes is legit?" Hina argued.

"...Instructor Kizakura scouted these. I would say they're as legitimate as it gets. You saw how Togami reacted, didn't you?" Kiyotaka said, trying to wrap his head around how Hina could miss such an obvious detail. 

"And you seem certain these secrets will prove our innocence. Am I to take it that you've read them?" Kyoko inquired. 

Kiyotaka shook his head. "Not at all. Doing so without group consensus would be the _height_ of rudeness. But I'm sure there's nothing gravely incriminating in these envelopes. I believe in you all."

Kyoko looked him over, then shrugged, giving him the go ahead.

"Now then, let's start wi-"

"Me first!" Ryoko jumped, hands raised.

"You serious?" Yasuhiro scratched his hair.

"Hell yeah. Let's see if Teach really knows his stuff. Like, I don't even know what my secret is. " Ryoko's cheer elicited a resulting sigh from them all. She was the same as ever. It seemed some people _never_ cracked under pressure. Although, Kiyotaka supposed that kind of mental fortitude was a much needed trait here.

"Alright." Kiyotaka said as he opened her letter first and read the contents aloud. "Ryoko Otonashi...has pictures of Makoto in compromising positions...for the intended purpose of...blackmail." Kiyotaka frowned.

All heads turned to the amnesiac, who innocuously hummed a tune with hands behind her back. Then they turned to Makoto, who they at least expected a reaction from, however he was _still_ out of it. It was around this time that they thought for sure that he'd overreact and do...adorable Makoto things.

Kiyotaka wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't heard the confession at all.

"This is awkward. If that's true...then I'm a bit of a creep. Don't you think so, big sis?" The smiling Ryoko turned to her side, meeting only thin air.

A pregnant pause overtook the atmosphere, as everyone awkwardly turned away.

"Ah that's right...I'm feeling a little ditzy today. I'll go lie down for a bit." Ryoko bopped her head with a closed fist. Pragmatically, Kiyotaka felt it'd be wiser to have everyone in the same place, but he nor anyone else made a move to stop the analyst from leaving the room. Maybe Ryoko _had_ cracked...in her own way.

"Anyone else want to volunteer?" Kiyotaka proposed. Nobody raised their hands. "Okay, random it is...Mondo Owada...oh this is about your role in your brother's death-"

"What!?" Said just about everyone.

"Mondo's the killer!?" Leon yelled, shell-shocked.

" _Don't be silly!_ " Kiyotaka raised his voice. "Chihiro, Makoto and I _already_ know about this. His brother's death was an accident but bro thinks it's _his_ fault." 

Mondo rubbed the back of his neck, choosing not to defend himself. Even if others had forgiven him, he still hadn't been able to forgive himself.

"If anything, that makes him one of the least likely to kill. _Especially girls."_ Kiyotaka continued

Kiyotaka's explanation sat right with most of them. Even on the odd happenstance that the biker was the culprit, he was the last person in the room that would assail women. Additionally, Mondo wasn't very subtle...poison is out of the question. He's exempt for the same reason Genocider is. Nonetheless, the man himself wasn't pleased about his secret being out in the open.

"Kyoko Kirigiri." Kiyotaka picked the next out. "..has initial distrust and dislike towards others after being betrayed by her friend and family."

Another awkward silence ensued, nevertheless Kyoko acted naturally.

"That's rough...we're cool though, right?" Leon tried to snake his arm across Kyoko's shoulder. Emphasis on 'tried'

"That arm touches me and you lose it." Kyoko retorted, as Leon's arm sharply froze in space. Appropriate considering how cold she sounded, despite appearances.

"Gotcha!" Leon backed off. "Makoto's a lot better at the pick-me-ups."

Said luckster was still off in his own world. Bro walked towards him with a clenched fist, hit Makoto on the head.

"Ow. What was that for?" He finally said something, clutching his head.

"What the hell are you spacing out for at a time like this? You're supposed to, ya know, do one of those feel-good speeches." Mondo yelled. If Kiyotaka didn't know any better, he'd be convinced his best friend was venting his anger out on the boy.

"I-I was listening...mostly." Makoto blatantly lied.

"Yeah? What'd Ryoko do to ya?"

"Um...come again?" Makoto searched for the analyst, who'd already announced her departure minutes before, then turned to the detective for answers

" **Move...on**." Kyoko ignored the boys and glared fiercely at Kiyotaka.

"Certainly." The prefect acquiesced as fast as possible, lest he be the next victim.

Next on the list was "Mukuro Ikusaba." This was quite the problem. It was one thing to expose his friends for the sake of placating suspicions, but Ikusaba couldn't be the culprit. And she was dead. Kiyotaka was visibly conflicted about the ethics of possibly shaming those no longer among them.

"I'll take a look. Hand me Sayaka's too." Kyoko walked towards him and snatched the letters out of his hands. She read the idol's first, looking through the contents with a passive expression. "I'm already aware of this. It's fine."  The next was Ikusaba's, which received a slight reaction. "...I suppose it's expected of a soldier. It has nothing to do with this case, however. Both are clean." 

She handed them back to Kiyotaka and walked back to her former position. Makoto stared at her, curious about what she found.

"Yasuhiro Hagakure had a near-perfect prediction accuracy as a child, but the rate mysteriously declined since then and he's afraid of losing his powers completely one day." Kiyotaka said.

"Really, Hiro?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah. I've tried a ton of ways to see if I could get my mojo back somehow but nothing sticks. I think my mom might know but she's real tight-lipped about it." Yasuhrio was despondent, an uncharacteristic display if the Moral compass had ever seen one.

"That sucks...but 'near-perfect accuracy'? That sounds like it'd be real handy here." 

"I could think of a few problems with that sort of foresight. But, are you sure you don't remember what happened, Yasuhiro?" Kyoko stared at the clairvoyant.

"Yup. Can't remember a thing. Why?"

"If your talent was going to suffer in the future, wouldn't your child self have seen that possibility coming and tried to prevent it?" Kyoko was placing an ample amount of faith in Yasuhiro's competence.

"Hmm, that's a good point. Though, I might not have been able to do anything even then. Fate's scary that way. The more you try to change it, the worse it can get." 

"That's some sage advice from someone who only gets fate right 30% of the time." Leon shook his head.

Seeing as there was no further discussion, Kiyotaka continued.

"Chihiro Fujisaki...hmm, do we need to open this one? I think we can all figure out what's in here." And not a soul in this room could ever conceive the notion that Chihiro could kill. Even a fly was out of the question.

"I'd like to wait for the kid, but it ain't really fair if we hold off on him after _we_ already got the shaft." Yasuhiro folded his arms. While everyone wanted to disagree with scum, they acknowledged his point. He'd apologize to Chihiro afterwards.

"Very well...Chihiro is a boy."

"A truly shocking development." Celes rolled her eyes.

"Leon's next."

"Wait!" The athlete shouted.

"What now?"

"I need to prep, mentally." The red-head clasped his hands together in prayer...."Okay, lay it on me."

"In middle school, Leon cheated 3 girlfriends simultaneously...for a year."

Leon groaned, looking away from the glares emanating disgust in various degrees,.

"Not cool." Makoto frowned. 

"Lame as shit, bro." "You're the worst, Leon ol'buddy." Mondo and Hiro chastised the athlete...before giving him a thumbs up with smiles of approval.

"M-Men are repulsive." Toko said, looked between them.

"Uh...there's more." Kiyotaka said. In that instance, Leon winced, motioning to cover his ears. "The girl Leon stayed with longest was secretly...a cross-dresser?"

"I didn't know, goddammit!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"No way." Makoto breathed out.

"W-What? Leon. _Our Leon_. Has been with a dude?" Yasuhiro's shoulders started to shake.

"I'm telling you guys. She was super cute. Anyone would have fallen for that!"

"She? Don't you mean _he_?" Toko sported a perverted smirk

"You got _trapped_ , for a _year_!?" Mondo broke into laughter.

"He...hehehe..hahahahaha!" Yasuhiro doubled over on the floor, while Makoto stifled a giggle

"How the hell does Kizakura even _know_ that!?" Leon turned pale.

"If nothing else, I've wondered about how awfully close you've been with Makoto." Kyoko noted. Her completely serious expression only served to intensify the hilarity.

Makoto stopped laughing immediately, and gazed at Leon in trepidation, taking short steps back.

"She's full of shit, dude!" Leon countered, red in the face.

Leon's antics helped provide a temporary escape from the evening's harshness. Everyone was still in great pain...but we need to move past it. Kiyotaka always thought the athlete was spoiled, obnoxious and undependable, but he served as an incredible mood setter. Kiyotaka believed that unspoken talent of Leon's to be exactly what they needed right now. 

"Leon's flagrant homosexual tendencies aside..there's quite a bit more to go through." Kiyotaka said after a time of reprieve.

"Flagrant my ass!"

"Celestia Ludenberg..."

"No!" The gambler shouted, uncharacteristically. Well, they already knew she had a tendency to...flip out sometimes "I-I mean...I've changed my mind. I'm not going through with this." 

" _Oh no_ , No way are you bailing on us. Everyone's having their guts spilled _right here_ , lady." Leon growled. If the baseball star got his way, everyone would be as humiliated as he, by the end of the night.

"I think c-coming out of the closet w-would fit your case better." Toko mocked the athlete.

Leon pretended not to hear the remark.

"I agree. It would defeat the point, and it wouldn't be fair to the others who already had their turn. Did you forget we're trying to absolve ourselves from being suspected murderers?" Kiyotaka added

Celestia gritted her teeth, and with a heavy sigh, she spoke. "Alright, I admit it. I killed them."

...

Several gasps filled the room. Not one could believe what she'd just said.

"A-Are you serious?" Leon asked, flabbergasted.

 "Are _you_ deaf? I said it was me. Now do what you will." Celestia said, calmly. Kiyotaka and just about everyone else was too stunned to move

"...Taka, read the letter." Everyone save Kyoko.

"Fuck that!" Celes shouted, giving the detective her metal encased middle finger. Noticing the strange looks she was getting, the gambler coughed and calmed down "I-I've already confessed, there is no need to drag this on any further."

"If you've already confessed, then there's no problem with him reading it aloud." Kyoko shot Celes a skeptic look.

"That's true." Kiyotaka nodded.

"I told you no, you fucking turd!" For the first time in Kiyotaka's...everyone's life, they had seen Celestia Ludenberg break into a sprint. Fortunately, Sakura grabbed and held her back before she could close in on the hall monitor. Afterwards, the gambler struggled in the fighter's grip, but to no avail. Instead, she settled for hurling vulgarities at the holder of her worst fears.

How dramatic. Whatever was in here must have been the real deal. However! He would read it anyway. "Celestia's real name is Taeko Yasuhiro and she...admired, believed in and emulated the occult until age 12."

As if her strings were cut, Celes-...Taeko dropped to the ground, free of Sakura's hold.

...

"Huh...that's kind of cute. In a super dorky, creepy, chuuni way." Leon snickered. But not without hiding next to the door, ready to run the hell away at a moment's notice.

"You lied about killing the others? Why did you lie?" Makoto was reasonably shocked. Celestia's secret was _harmless_ , why go as far as lying?

"We all have different standards. I'm sure this was...in some incomprehensible way to us, a crushing blow to Celes' dignity." Sakura tried to be reasonable, but she was as bewildered as the rest of us.

"Forget that. Who'd have thought me and Celes had the same name? Oh, I guess we should call her Taeko now." Yasuhiro said with a pensive look.

Unbeknownst to them all, that laid-back comment broke the camel's back. "Fufu...fuhahahaha." The drill-tail rose to her feet, wiping away the dirt from her clothes as she stood before them, smiling angelically.

"...You okay over there?" Mondo asked, wearily.

"No. Far from it.  I'm _so_ _livid_ right now, I don't know what to do with myself. The concept of anger can't properly express my emotions." That was a resounding "no" to bro's question "But don't fret, I am now thoroughly motivated towards finding our friends' murderer."

"Assuming it isn't you?" Kyoko asked, reminding them of their current situation.

"Yes. Feel free to judge me, but I don't much care for anything else right now." 

Kiyotaka shuddered. It would appear that, to the gambler, she had nothing left to lose.

"Moving on. Sakura Oogami...is in fact, not the strongest fighter in the world. She was handed that title due to the previous owner's illness."

"Doesn't sound too bad." Yasuhiro commented. "Actually, that's a pretty lame secret. Some people get all the luck."

"Would you mind re-phrasing that, Hiro?" Sakura gazed at the psychic with a threatening eye.

"No ma'am."

Hmm, to think that there was someone even Sakura couldn't defeat was incredible. It was probably Kenshiro, as the class had met the sick man in the past.

Kiyotaka moved onto the next.

"Toko Fukawa...probably about Genocider, but as I revealed Chihiro's anyway, I'll do the same here-"...Kiyotaka halted as he re-read the contents of the envelope. Then he turned an embarrassed shade of red. He coughed aloud "Kyoko, would you mind reading this?"

The detective gave him a skeptical look before taking the letter. "Toko uses..." Kyoko's features momentarily mimicked Kiyotaka's before returning to their original pale color "I am _not_  saying this out loud." 

Now the rest were curious. Makoto peered over to read as well. "W-Whaaaa?" He turned beet red, rapidly looking from the paper to the author.

"I...feel it safe to say her secret has nothing to do with the case. If you all want to read however, be my guest. Toko, it seems I'll have to speak with you as well on the matter of...violating our classmate's privacy." Kiyotaka stammered.

Surprisingly, everyone who hadn't read Toko's letter, refrained from doing so, even Leon despite his earlier protests. A wise decision, one Kiyotaka greatly envied. What he wouldn't give for a Forget-Me beam right about now.

"Hifumi Yamada...wait, where _is_ Hifumi?" Kiyotaka realized he hadn't seen the doujin author at all.

"He went to use the washroom a while back. Could be there for hours, if you know what I mean." Leon said, earning a look of disgust from each of them. "Hey, don't hate, I'm just the messenger."

"Be that as it may, I'll be sure to take responsibility when informing him of our business, later. Is that fine with everyone else?" They nodded. "Before discovering doujins, Hifumi Yamada displayed...severe depression and extreme violent tendencies?"

"What!?" Said, nearly everyone in the room. That may have been the most surprisingly morbid yet. Celes wasn't perturbed by the detail, instead she merely frowned.

"I think...we should have waited for him, guys." Makoto said. Kiyotaka couldn't help but agree. This was a topic that absolutely shouldn't have been openly discussed without the targeted' individual's presence. However, this was the absurdity of their situation.

"Talk about depressing. Never figured the big guy for the type." Leon folded his arms, eyes closed. He would have to agree. Hifumi's preferences may have been a tad strange to the prefect, however he presented himself as a very fulfilled person.

"Only Hina, Togami and Makoto's left." Kiyotaka mentioned.

"Hina will go next." Sakura said, eyes closed. Hina, who stood next to the giantess, had her eyes to the ground.

"Whoa, I forgot you were still here. Everything alright, Hina?" Yasuhiro asked. The swimming pro hadn't said anything since his proposal.  

"I can't hide it anymore...huh?" Hina sounded nothing like her bubbly self. "I poisoned one of the contestants at a swim meet."

The secret written in the letter repeated the swimmer's statement almost verbatim. It wasn't too surprising since this was another secret Kiyotaka was already privy to thanks to HPA's records.

"Hina...ain't that like...cheating?" Yasuhiro muttered unintelligibly. Of course it was cheating!

"Well well." A bemused Celes remarked.

"So you're familiar with poison?" Kyoko posited, her full attention on the tanned girl.

"Not _that_ kind...not really. " She sighed, sadly. "I don't even know where to begin." Thus Sakura started for her "Hina had...trouble making friends in the past."

"...We talking about the same Hina? She's like the friendliest chick here!" Leon interjected "What dumb bastard wouldn't give anything to get close to her?"

"Um...thanks, I think? But I wasn't all _that_ friendly before." Asahina wore a melancholic expression "But it's no excuse that I wasn't well-liked, at least by the girls. Turns out that on the last swimming competition before the end of our middle-school year, one of the girls I was competing with mixed laxatives in my protein shake. It was probably the most important contest of my life."

"Turns out? You weren't sure?" Kyoko asked.

Hina shook her head. "Lucky for me, a friend warned me about the prank. But I was so mad that they'd think of humiliating me like that!"

"I think anyone would be." Makoto said. "What'd you do about it?"

"She reversed the situation." Kiyotaka frowned.

"Ah, an eye for an eye." Celestia said.

"...Yeah. That friend I was talking about, gave me their drinking water instead and told me to give them a taste of their own medicine. I listened to her every word. And, well, it worked. She, the girl who tried to poison me, had...quite the accident. She never came back to school afterwards. The girl's friends who were in on her scheme, had a feeling I was responsible and spread the rumor across the school. Nobody had solid evidence though...and I doubt the teachers would have done anything. They always gave me special treatment as their star." Hina explained. not looking any of them in the eye.

"It's alright, Hina. While I don't really agree with what you did, I won't judge you." Makoto approached the swimming pro and patted her on the back.

"Serves that bitch right, if you ask me. You don't mess with someone's career like that." As a man who shared a similar hobby, Hina's story hit home with Leon.

"Absolutely not! What Hina should have done was challenged her fairly." Kiyotaka reprimanded him "But I can understand her feelings. Hina worked hard to achieve her status. That woman had no right to sabotage her efforts."  

"...Is that the truth?" Kyoko spoke up, earning a surprised stare from the others. To answer the question written on their faces, she elaborated "People don't change so quickly. The Hina I know wouldn't have stooped to foul play  _just_ because they'd initiated it. she'd have been more satisfied beating them despite her disadvantages, as Kiyotaka suggested. Is there more to this than you're telling us?"

"I...no, that's about it." Hina replied.

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head. "I believe the problem was that this friend of Hina's was a bad influence. A true comrade wouldn't have advised Hina to seek revenge; doing so only endangered her position." 

"Come on, Sakura. Lisa was a bit _weird_ sometimes, but that was probably because she was a foreigner. I depended on her a lot and I'd have gone crazy if she didn't have my back the whole time." Hina defended her old acquaintance.

"Damn, you sound like you were a completely different chick, Hina." Yasuhiro said, with one eye closed.

"Yeah, I changed a lot after middle school." Hina said, bashfully. "I guess you guys think less of me..."

"More like...we're hearing a new side of you for the first time. Don't be too hard on yourself, you're grown a lot from the sounds of it." Makoto cheered her on and received a quaint "thank you" from Asahina.

"Has she though?" Celes interrupted

"Pardon me?" Sakura replied, feeling unsettled by the gambler's words.

"Ah, I was just wondering how amusing it is for the person who's been accusing me of poisoning others, has experience in the same act herself.... and come to think of it...wasn't Hina the one who brought the water canisters over?" The gothic lolita said, sweetly. Her intentions were no mystery to anyone.

"I-I didn't poison anyone." Hina retaliated.

"I wonder. The story you just told was nice, I suppose...but we only have your perspective on the matter. The truth could well make for a completely different tale." Celes smiled.

"Why you!" Hina almost stalked up to Celes in outrage, if Sakura didn't block the path between them.

"There is no evidence to pin Hina to the crime. And if, on some chance there is, let us discuss it after we hear _everyone's_ account." Sakura proposed.

"I was about to say the same." Kiyotaka was already in motion to reprimand the girls until Sakura usurped him. "Let's go with Makoto's next."

Everyone waited with anticipation.

The smaller boy groaned.

"Makoto Naegi...wet the bed until the 5th grade." 

Makoto buried his reddened face into his hands, expecting a chorus of laughter in the meanwhile. When none came, he lifted his face. Just about everyone had a blank, non-plussed expression.

"That's it!?" Leon recovered first. "That's lame sure, but it's tame as fuck."

"I demand a recount. This is Makoto we're talking about. There must be more." Celes felt no less cheated.

"Kizakura _must_ have more incriminating evidence than incontinence. What kind of scam is this?" Even Kyoko was bizarrely disappointed, much to Makoto's dismay as he threw her, and the rest, a look of betrayal.

"You guys wanted me to be _worse_ off?" Makoto sweated.

"""Yes""" They said, simultaneously and unabashedly.

"Bunch of jerks." 

Kiyotaka approved. He was glad to see Makoto had no more than a mediocre blemish on his record. Now onto the last...

"Togami's the final one."

"I've been waiting for this." Mondo snickered. Leon, Celes and Yasuhiro joined. Hina, still reeling from her turn formed a half smile. It seemed the affluent progeny wasn't very popular.

Kiyotaka coughed "Reminder that we are looking through these letters with a purpose, not to harass our classmates."

"Yeah yeah, just get to it already. I hope it blows everyone else's out of the water after Makoto's disappointment." Leon frowned.

Kiyotaka shook his head and went to business. The heir had already ripped his open earlier that day. "Hmm, this one's a lot longer than the others."

"The Togamis hold a succession battle once the oldest sibling in the current generation reaches the age of 25. Every sibling must fight for the title of future head of the family, regardless of age. Victory was to be the last standing, whereas the defeated are all to be wiped out without exception. Either through means of exile or...murder." Kiyotaka's eyes shot up.

"Uh...this might sound stupid but...isn't Toges the current heir?" Yasuhiro wondered, with wide-eyes.

"For once, you're not being an idiot. That would be correct." Celes had a thoughtful look on her features.

"S-Shut your trap, conman. M-Master Byakuya w-would never sully his hands with killing." Toko defended the blond, as expected.

"...Byakuya killed his older brother, Richard Togami. 14 siblings were killed in total, save Byakuya and his half-sister. It was the bloodiest succession in the family's history." Kiyotaka finished. The heaviest silence yet fell onto them. Each trying to process what they'd just heard. Kiyotaka himself, felt dizzy.

"There must be _some_ mistake. Togami may act like a jerk some times, but he's not a murderer. Much less capable of _fratricide_." 

"I wonder. It might be dangerous to assume everyone shares your own perspective, Taka." Kyoko advised. "Don't get me wrong, I agree. But we don't know what the circumstances were like. It's not impossible for him to kill if the situation forced his hand."

"Uh yeah, like do-or-die, right?" Leon scratched his head.

"However, if he is able to kill his own family. Then it may not be so strange for Togami to have little reservations towards killing us either." Celes added.

"T-That's bullshit!" Toko snapped at the gambler. But before she could continue on her tirade...

"Why both?" Kiyotaka asked.

"Why did both siblings survive, you mean?" Kyoko appeared to have thought on the same lines

"If that document is accurate, and it appears to have been thus far, Togami should have been the only one left alive. Why is _he_ the heir when the rules clearly state all but one must be eliminated ' _without exception_ '?" Celes joined.

"They seemed pretty close...I think." Makoto spoke out of the blue. 

"They? You've met her?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah. Her name's Shinobu. We met back when I asked Togami to help us get money for the trip and she answered the door. I thought the proposal was going to be rejected, but she talked to Togami and he said yes...pretty easily now that I think about it." Makoto explained.

"Toges? Giving into someone's demand? Easily? Are you sure he wasn't an impostor?" Yasuhiro wore a face of disbelief.

"Positive. I don't think just anyone could insult me  quite like Togami could..." Makoto scratched his cheek.

"That's all well and good but it doesn't solve the riddle. Being 'close' as you put it, shouldn't be enough to over turn such a crude tradition. It's definitely suspicious." Celes said.

"I have to agree. If a custom that's equivalent to high-class equivalent of gladiator sport persevered this long, Togami would have needed an immense trump card to bypass the clause." Kyoko placed her gloved finger on her chin.  

"Kizakura's on some real fucking shit." Leon said in disbelief, changing the flow of the conversation "Forget how he found out any of this. I can't believe he'd reveal them just because of some contest. There's hardcore info in here."

"Yes, this seems a tad excessive." Celes agreed, and surprisingly, she _wasn't_ just saying that because her secret was in there as well.

"Indeed. He takes his job seriously in the strangest of ways." Even Kiyotaka couldn't believe the instructor would go this far

"So what do we do? We now know at least one of us has killed in the past. And said person also happens to be the one who brought us here." Celes remarked, her agenda made clear.

"I don't think Toges could be behind anything. I mean...he kind of wasn't _with us_ the whole time." Yasuhiro pondered

"Not personally, but he could have relegated the task to the oh-so-willing help." The gambler referred to Toko.

"I still don't buy it. Byakuya wouldn't try to harm us, he's not that kind of guy. And there's no motive." Makoto spoke his honest feelings.

"As far as we know." Celes countered.

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag for all of us. We get anywhere or are we still back at square one?" Hiro asked. Everyone looked towards Kyoko.

"There are a few leads, but nothing definitive." Kyoko answered vaguely. 

"Leads being Asahina and Togami, I bet." Celes said.

"Here we go again." Leon muttered.

"Pray tell who else among us, are suspicious enough to have committed the crime. Taka's sentiment was nice, but these new revelations have only bolstered the possibility that at least one of us are capable of murder. And to begin with, only one of us could be the culprit, for there is nobody else on this island."

"You forgetting someone?" Yasuhiro interjected

"Ah yes, that non-existent witch of yours."

"Could've fooled me. You believed in em for 12 years." Mondo added, feeling nothing for the gambler's murderous stare.

"Celes does have a point. There is nobody here but us." Kyoko stated.

"Not necessarily." Kiyotaka's statement, captured their attention.

"'What do you mean by that?" The detective blinked rapidly.

"Just earlier, I saw someone outside of the window...and I'm positive it was a woman. I don't know about a witch, but there may be someone else on the island."

"...Outside, in that rain?" Makoto cocked his head.

"Yes. That's how I know it can't be one of us. Nobody here is wet, and I don't see why they'd show themselves to me if they were the culprit." 

"When was this?" Kyoko demanded, raising her voice ever so slightly. "And why didn't you tell anyone?"

"A little over an hour ago. Right before I found the girls arguing in here. And I'm telling you right now."

"Nobody else is wet, and I was by the front door for a while and I definitely didn't see anyone come in." Leon said.

"It can't...really be a witch...right?" Fear was written all over the swimmer's face.

"I can't believe you're letting yourself get carried away by mere superstition." Celes rejected the notion.

From that point on, the students bickered over what Kiyotaka had seen, ever defying a proper conclusion. The minds of those who were properly grounded in reality couldn't accept the occult, whereas those with more imaginative minds were struck with fear. Seeing further argument as pointless, Kiyotaka called for armistice. They needed the break after everything that happened.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

"Uh, Kyoko? Where are you going?" Makoto lost the detective in the interim of that strange turn of events, and later found her with hands on the front doorknob.

"Were you following me?" She turned to face him with an almost accusatory gaze.

"...No? I was passing by...are you going to look for the others?" He surmised

"Yes, Kizakura has taken far too long. And I'd like to investigate the islands."

"...Running off on your own could be dangerous."

"Are you volunteering?" Kyoko clued in on his meaning.

"I guess I am." He showed a small smile.

"Offer rejected. I think I'll be off on my own this time." Kyoko refused...a stark contrast to her earlier concession. She didn't even appear to mind the shock written on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Makoto asked, confused. Kyoko didn't reply, as if she herself wasn't certain.

"Trouble in paradise?" A voice from behind them interjected. Leon crossed his arms, shooting both a suspicious look. "You two sneaking off somewhere?"

"Yeah." "No." Makoto and Kyoko answered respectively.

"We're not letting her go off on her own."

"Since when did _you_ hold sway over my life?"

Leon chuckled at the argument "Heh. Not all the time I see you two disagreeing. Gotta back Makoto on this though. I know you're the badass and all, Kyoko, but, we're all kind of in danger here. If you run off and something bad happens? The fuck do we do?" 

Seeing Kyoko take his words into consideration, Leon turned to Makoto "On the other hand...I don't think you're much backup, Makoto, no offense." Makoto took offense.

"Then what do you suggest?" She posed.

"Ain't it obvious? Yours truly will be your backup." Leon said, holding a bat overhead.

...

"Fine. Now let's go before the others notice. I doubt Taka will be eager to let us leave." Kyoko seemed to deliberate with herself for a moment but consented to Leon's terms..

The ease at which Kyoko gave in bothered Makoto. She wasn't one to demean her own skills or accept help unless she really needed it. And if so? Why did she deny his help? He and Kyoko already discussed partnering up a short while ago. What changed?

"...And can you stop hiding over there?" Kyoko said, abruptly. Makoto spoke a tiny "huh?" as he looked over Leon and spotted familiar auburn hair peeking out of the corridor.

"Busted...I think." Ryoko stepped out into the hall, with a slightly different appearance than Makoto remembered. Her hair was slightly damp, her previous attire replaced with a plain teal colored hospital gown.

"Definitely busted." Leon sweatdropped.

"You're wet..." Makoto said.

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep, I took a shower in one of the washrooms instead."  She explained. "You guys are heading off?"

"You want to come with?" Makoto proposed

"Four's a crowd." And Kyoko shot him down...again. 

"That's fine. I'll cover for you guys while you're out." Ryoko  didn't argue...let me reiterate, Ryoko.Did.Not.Argue.

"...You doing okay?" Makoto scratched his hair, worried for the girl. Ryoko had begun to acting like her old self over the past few days, but it appears her progress(?) had flipped a 180.

"Yes. I'm feeling under the weather, and Kyoko's right, no need for all of us to go. I'll be more useful over here." She smiled

"That's our leader." Leon gave her a thumbs up

The analyst's meekness didn't sit right with Makoto, but that should be expected after what happened to her sister. As he'd never seen Ryoko give in to any sort of pressure before, Makoto wasn't sure how she'd cope emotionally. He was almost happy to see she had such a normal reaction.

"When we get back...if you need someone to talk to, I'll be here to listen, okay?"

Ryoko nodded.

 

\---

 

The team of three stopped by the first island. They investigated the restaurant for traces of evidence, finding none. Then Kyoko suggested they search the cottages.

"Fine by me but, uh...how are we getting in to everyone else's room?" Leon questioned the detective as they returned to the cottage grounds.

"I'll pick their locks. How else?" Kyoko gave him a condescending stare, before moving on ahead.

"...Makoto, _she's_ the one who's nuts here, right?" Leon addressed him.

"...Kyoko's always been a little eccentric." He defended the girl.

They moved about at the rooms on Kyoko's command. Leon was really serious about the bodyguard deal, seeing as he did very little investigating and waited by the door, posing menacingly. Probably because he felt he'd mess up. Makoto's other companion made repeated glances his way, every so often. He hadn't called Kyoko out on it, in fear of angering her, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable.

...

The three found nothing of particular use until they arrived at Ikusaba's cottage. On her desk was a file, containing a list of poisonous plants in the area. Makoto surmised they were the same variety as the vegetation the soldier had informed him about during the hunt. Kyoko read through the girl's summaries. There were notations of how 'odd' the presence of the poisonous plants were on jabberwock island and how their appearance differed slightly from the ones she knew.

'Avoid at all costs. Make sure to check for sightings in the others' ingredients'

"This was what Ikusaba was using during her inventory check up. I occasionally saw her writing in it." Kyoko mentioned, narrowing her eyes at the contents."...Interesting."

"What is?"

"Some light has finally been shed on this case." She responded. Though what she meant by that, was unclear.

"Then...could those plants have been what killed her?" Makoto asked, reflecting on the painful irony. The one with the experience they needed and who worked to prevent fatalities from occurring, had ended up being one of the victims.

"Most likely. At least now we have plausible evidence for the murder weapon." Kyoko said succinctly. That was the only item of note in the soldier's room. Next to hers, was Ryoko's. Similarly, there was only one object of note...and it was quite the eye-opener. 

"...She still has this?" Makoto sighed at the large hunting rifle planted on the Analyst's wall. Kyoko moved towards it, inspecting the gun for bullets.

"It's still armed. Might be useful." Kyoko said, turning to face them with the barrel.

"Don't point that thing at me!" Leon scrambled away from the gun. Makoto dodged to the other side, feeling an identical amount of fear.

"...Pansies." Kyoko scoffed. "We're searching the library next."

"A 'little' eccentric huh?" Leon remarked, his voice off-tone.

"She's...rough around the edges?" Makoto clenched his rapidly beating heart. Damn that was scary.

...

And what they found when they arrived at their destination shook them to their core. The library, as far as they could see, was in it's normal state. No signs of a struggle, as they trudged through the isles. Nothing was out of place - Not that Makoto or Leon would have known. They'd never come within 5 feet of the library. Their footsteps came to a dead halt when they spotted. Togami and Chihiro, compromised on different ends of the room. The programmer laid unconscious on the floor, while the heir sat in a chair, slightly slumped over.

"Chi!" Leon called out. The boys went for Chihiro, shaking the diminutive boy with fear-gripped hearts. Eventually, Chihiro's body moved on its own, as a small moan left his lips.

"He's waking up." Makoto said, heaving a sigh of relief. That was way too close for comfort.

"Man, this whole island is freaking me out. Let's get back to the hospital and barricade ourselves there." Leon shivered getting ready to place the programmer on his back.

"Leon...Makoto...?" Chihiro woke prematurely.

"Hey there, Chihiro...what were you doing on the floor?" Makoto asked, taking care not to scare the other boy.

"The...floor..." As if snapping out of his trance, Chihiro's puzzled features transformed and was replaced by horror. "Ah...T-Togami, he..." 

At the mention of the blond's name, Makoto and Leon directed their attention towards the heir. There, they accounted for the number of oddities present: They saw Kyoko standing over him, perplexed with visible disbelief. Her gloved fingers touched Togami's neck. The bespectacled teen was unresponsive; one could say he looked more at peace than Makoto had ever seen him. The sole flaw with the picture was a thin, blue liquid dripped from the side of his mouth.

"...He's dead!" Chihiro wailed.

In lieu of the revelation, Makoto failed to notice Togami's glasses, placed neatly on the desk.

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

 

Kiyotaka did what he did best. Patrolled the halls for signs of disturbance. He found none...which was odd in of itself. The hospital felt bare, considering the number of people that were momentarily lodged in its confines.

_'Where the devil is everyone?'_

He hadn't seen Makoto, Kyoko, Leon and Hifumi in some time. On that note, he hadn't seen Hifumi in hours. He couldn't still be in the washrooms.

To make sure, Kiyotaka searched the stalls, and found not a soul.

"W-What are you doing?" Toko caught him amidst his investigation.

"Looking for the others, Hifumi in particular. Have you seen him?" Kiyotaka asked.

"T-That hack? No, why don't you ask C-Celes? Those two are practically stuck like glue." Toko passed him by. That was an awfully cold response to their situation...but Kiyotaka took her advice and sought out the gambler, who was thankfully easy to find. Celes was in the kitchen all by herself, and looking none too pleased.

"Where the hell is that tub of lard!?" She screeched, not noticing he was in the room.

"I was about to ask you that." He announced his presence. Celes perked up and resumed her natural composure. He didn't know _why_ , they were all aware she threw fits like this all the time.

"You haven't seen Hifumi either. That is worrying." She said.

"You sound like you've been looking for him too."

"Don't be ridiculous. As if I would lift a finger for that oaf." Celes scoffed. "That said, he is in the hospital right?"

"I don't see where else he would have gone."

"Here's a weird combo." Yasuhiro walked in with Bro in tow.

"We're discussing Hifumi's whereabouts. Have any of you seen him?" Celes asked

"No...wait, you mean he still hasn't shown up?" Mondo retorted, shocked.

"Oh crap...he was spirited away!" Yasuhiro rambled, to Celes' annoyance.

"Makoto, Leon and Kyoko are missing too." Kiyotaka folded his arms.

"Oh?" "Now you're freaking me out, bro." "End of the world!"

"Silence, Yasuhiro...the male one." He could have sworn Celes' arm reached for a knife at his comment, but paid her no mind "This can be solved with a quick perimeter search."

"What's all the noise about? Search for who?" Hina and Sakura strutted in next. Kiyotaka explained the situation.

"Now we'll pair up in groups, and search each wing of the hospital. I saw Toko near the washrooms, The girls can go retrieve her. While we look for the others." Kiyotaka ordered them. Nobody raised any objections and split into their assigned groupings. Kiyotaka searched the hospital rooms..."Ryoko's not here either." Kiyotaka stated, once again, finding not a soul.

Eventually, they covered the upper floors and joined with Sakura and the others downstairs. Toko was in their company, at least. They could be thankful for that.

"We didn't find anyone else." Sakura relayed her discoveries.

"This is bad." Mondo fretted.

"...Everyone, grab your umbrellas. Let's search the outside." They all nodded, grabbing whatever they could find to prepare for their outside search.

To the surprise of all, they found the front door wide open.

"H-Holy crap." Yasuhiro tensed.

"Everyone, stay close. Mondo cover the rear while I move at the front." Sakura took command, and at this moment, Kiyotaka was very willing to let her. He cursed his own ineptitude as he froze up in fear. Everyone walked outside in small steps, umbrellas banging against each other.

"W-We should search around the hospital first." Kiyotaka suggested, shivering.

"And if we don't find them?" Celes asked, her tone wavering ever so slightly.

"...I don't know." 

Fortunately...(or was it unfortunate), they did not have to look long. The group trekked to the side of the hospital building, where, with only a few steps in, they spotted Ryoko. A wave of relief passed through the less perceptive members of the group (himself included). Unlike Sakura, Celes and Toko, who were stunned from the onset, the others needed a few more seconds to comprehend the sheer abnormality of the scene in front of them.

Ryoko's back was turned, she wore nothing more than a hospital gown...and he meant that very literally. The girl didn't bring an umbrella and thus, was drenched, nor did she wear shoes! But beyond all of that was the fallen figure that was mere feet away from the analyst. His body was large enough that Ryoko's form didn't obscure it.

They moved closer until they stood side by side Ryoko, almost in a straight line.

And the sight they bore witness to, was a bloodied Hifumi, back facing the hospital's outer walls. His open eyes were bloodshot, the mouth area a mess of blood.


	16. Diffidenza/Distrust

-Kyoko Kirigiri-

 

Just as Kyoko finally made headway on this mystery, a new curve-ball was  _needed_ to be thrown in her face. Byakuya Togami was dead. And he shouldn't be. Not only for the usual reasons someone shouldn't be dead, but because it opened Pandora's Box and threw any leads on the culprit's identity into chaos. It couldn't have been anyone at the hospital and those were Kyoko's primary suspects.

Who was left? Chihiro? Kyoko perished the thought. Not only would it _shatter_ every shred of faith in her ability to read people, but even if the programmer _had_ murdered Togami, he couldn't physically have been responsible for the deaths of Ikusaba and Sayaka. That meant there were either killers in cohorts or we were dealing with someone who could move between locations instantaneously and simultaneously remain undetected amidst a crowd of associates. Or a witch...

Kyoko favored none. And the first option, while the most probable of the improbable three was...frightening. It would mean Kyoko could trust nobody.

Another alternative worthy of consideration was Kizakura's whereabouts...he was nowhere to be found. But why? In the event he was the culprit, what would be his motive? There was none, absolutely none. 

The detective had already searched Togami's body. No injuries, or signs of attack or blunt trauma. Just drool(?) leaking from the mouth. Kyoko dared not taste it, nor did she need to; it was poisoned. That posed yet _another_ problem. Togami's eyes were fine, there was no sign of the visceral bleeding and hemorrhaging like with the others. The strain of poison was different, the effects too peaceful. Why go out of their way to change concoctions? Did they already run out of the previous formula, or was this a red herring?

Kyoko shook her head. If she focused on too many details, she'd end up with nothing. He who chases two hares will catch neither, as they say. The lavender haired girl turned to her (hopefully still) friends. Makoto looked to be on the verge of tears, Chihiro was past that point. Leon wasn't nearly so emotional but he was even more prone to panic.

"Chihiro. I need your account this instant." It took longer than Kyoko would have liked to soothe the programmer into speaking up.

"T-Togami and I were working on an experiment for Hope's Peak. He didn't stay long to supervise me, said he'd be going to the library and I should catch up once I was done. When I got here, h-he was like _this_."

Oh for the love of...the timeframe was too large and undefined. _Anything_ could have happened.

"Did you meet Kizakura on the way?" Kyoko asked first.

"No. I didn't see him at all...why? Was he looking for us?"...That's right, he wasn't aware of what happened.

"You mentioned an experiment. What is that?"

"I...can't say." 

Half a minute passed by before Kyoko spoke again, briefly stunned by how incredulous it was for him to be withholding information at this stage. "I don't think you're aware of out situation. This is not the time to be keeping secrets."

"I _can't._ I'm under legal contract not to, and if I break it, the consequences are... _very_ severe." Chihiro refused. Which was rare enough for Kyoko to understand the aforementioned severity.

"Chill out on the dude, Kyoko." Shut up, Leon.

"Maybe we should ask in another way." Makoto assumed the good cop role. "Can this experiment...poison other people?" A bit more direct than Kyoko would have phrased it, but not bad.

Chihiro quirked his brow. "Poison? I _guess_ it's resistant to venom, but not like it'll secrete any just by biting you. Why?"

That wording...was Chihiro implying this was a living creature? "Could this project of yours go haywire or be lethal to anyone?" She asked.

"Maybe, but there's almost no chance of that. And well, if it _did..._ you would know. We all would. It'd be gruesome."

That was satisfactory enough.

"You guys...what's going on? You're not even _focused_ on Togami." The feminine male looked between the three of them.

"We'll tell you on the way back to the hospital." Kyoko answered

"What about Togami's...body?" Makoto stammered, suggesting he still hadn't recovered...but was it genuine?

"We're leaving it here."

"...We can't!" Chihiro yelled.

"We can and we will. We bring him back with us, and how do you think Toko would react? If anyone asks, tell them he's missing, got it?" Kyoko had them all swear to secrecy. "In fact, we're hiding the body. Put it somewhere nobody can find." Kyoko commanded them. They didn't move at first, but the gun was a very convincing tool, she just had to hold it to gain more authority than usual. That said, she did not need any more panic than necessary. Kyoko already had _far_ too many problems to deal with it, and they were best finished quickly before more started piling on. All of them had the same concept at the core: trust. Who could she trust? The answer was easy. Nobody. Not even Makoto.

Kiyotaka had raised a very good point, but Kyoko doubted he realized the extent of his insight. 

_**"Someone just doesn't start planning murders out of nowhere, this is real life. There are always signs and patterns. We've known each other for years. We have no motive to attack one another, and It's not like any of us have been acting differently recently." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 15)**_

But that was wrong. There was someone whose behavior was strange. Makoto's. Ever since Kizakura found him sleep-walking (that by itself should have raised alarm bells!). He'd shown an irrational anger towards Leon, another gigantic red flag. Makoto was never angry, his tolerance level was nothing short of sagely. Yet that changed in a matter of hours. The second oddity was how he reacted to their friend's deaths, his expression was serene. Not in the sense that dictated calm. He was angry, but it was a controlled anger, and that was suspect and implied direction. Finally...he was the leader of his group, had access to the pot _and_ interacted with Ikusaba. It wasn't out of the question for him to know what was or wasn't poisonous. The pieces fit nicely if Makoto was the culprit.

And that was the problem. Makoto, the culprit. It was an oxymoron. There was no motive, no correlation with his personality or identity. However, perhaps the reason itself could have been irrational? People acting against their own self-interest is not unheard of, and Makoto definitely seemed unstable as of late.

Kyoko was certain there was more than one killer. Furthermore as Celes brought up, two different killers, did not entail different agendas. Like she proposed with Togami and Toko (albeit clearly wrongly if the heir's corpse was of any indication), it could be that one mastermind could influence another. Makoto was fairly influential despite appearances. However, who would go along with the insane promise of murder? Makoto might have had some degree of charisma, but he was far from a hypnotist. None of us wou-

...There was Ryoko, maybe.

Kyoko shook her head. That train of thought was something to keep in mind, as insane as it was.

This night of insanity was far from finished with Kyoko. News of Hifumi's death when they returned to the hospital made sure of that. Kyoko had a sinking feeling of it when she met the ghostly pale faces of her friends(?). Hifumi was nowhere to be seen, and...well, process of elimination never failed under these circumstances. Kiyotaka didn't appear to have the energy to bombard them with questions of where they went or why Kyoko suddenly had a rifle. Chihiro and the others were besides themselves with grief. The cross-dresser had taken it especially hard, after very recently learning what happened to Sayaka and Ikusaba. 

At least they retained enough composure not to touch the crime scene...assuming someone hadn't anyway. Kyoko inspected as per duty. She learned almost nothing, save the murder weapon. Poison yet again, and this brand matched what killed the girls...why the hell was Togami different? He and Hifumi should have been killed at similar times-

Oh right...the timeline.  She couldn't allow herself to get confused now. She had no idea when Togami was killed. Hifumi? Could have happened from when Leon claimed to have seen him to when the body was discovered. If Kyoko was a betting woman? It was likely during or before the meeting when Kiyotaka took charge. That perfectly explains why Hifumi hadn't shown up; a much better explanation than Leon's tasteless jokes.

...That was a horrible thing to say.

Additionally, when she commented on how there was 'nothing' to be found in the crime scene...that in of itself was a clue. Hifumi is...was, a very big man. Carrying him out there could not have been easy. And there were no trails on the ground, with the rain and mud? Hiding those would be impossible, and the back of Hifumi's pants weren't dirty enough. In other words, chances are the doujin author was _lured_ out. Why would he do something so stupid? Unless he thought it wasn't stupid - meaning he followed someone he thought he could trust. That would also explain why there were no signs of a struggle.

I suppose that puts an end to the occult theory, and all but confirms the killer was one of us. The question was who had that kind of authority? Celes was the prime suspect, but any of the girls could be too. Ishimaru was another. And so was, of course, Makoto. 

Oh, and Kizakura, wherever the _hell_ he was. Assuming he was alive, that is.

Kyoko rubbed her temples in the room she stayed, isolated from the rest. She needed a notebook, her brain would fry before she solved this mystery. Or worse, she might overlook a crucial detail.

While she was on the topic of notebooks, the supposed holder of one, Ryoko, was said to have been the first to find Hifumi. Sakura informed Kyoko in detail of the amnesiac's inappropriate state of dress for the weather (without so much as shoes...). Furthermore, the team had found Hifumi by coincidence on a search for all of them (Kyoko's group included). Ryoko wasn't part of the search and was deemed missing, yet still found Hifumi.

That was far too convenient, not to mention she must have had a purpose. Naturally, Kyoko thoroughly interrogated Ryoko. Although to her displeasure, the sum of the information she gained amounted to "I've got a super-computer for a brain."

That was annoying. Kyoko couldn't understand how such a ridiculous ability worked, but she knew it did. In fact, Ryoko proved it when Kyoko asked her to find the others. Nobody had told her of Togami's death, but she reasoned it out. (Kyoko had to make her keep quiet about that too.) And not just that, she _also_ predicted that Kyoko would hide the body, further adding to Kyoko's grief.

_"If you were so good at tracking, why didn't you help us earlier?" Kyoko raised the question._

_"...Nobody asked...and you said 4 was a crowd." Ryoko replied. Kyoko hated how robotic her common sense could be...but she was partly correct._

_"Next question. Can you find the culprit?"_

_"His actions are too erratic. There's no logical flow or pattern to what they're doing." The analyst answered. That was good enough for Kyoko. She didn't expect an easy solution, but the information was helpful nonetheless. If Ryoko was to be believed (and Kyoko did, this once), the killer was not acting according to reason. Thus, they were among the insane and that meant Kyoko could excuse the contradictions brought on by a lack of motive, and previous behaviors/conduct._

Kyoko sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion take her. To add, Ryoko could have fallen back on losing her memories. Which happened inconveniently and sporadically enough for it to count as a valid excuse.

_'Let me re-iterate, that was annoying, and it was cheating.'_

Kyoko's suspicions of the girl didn't lessen though. Ryoko had no alibis for pivotal moments this night, and from what Kyoko remembered, she bailed out of the meeting early on. Then claimed to have hit the showers when Makoto called her out on being wet. Ryoko Otonashi had firmly moved up on Kyoko's list of suspects. As Ikusaba's sister, she too would've had access to the soldier's knowledge of toxins.

Makoto, Ryoko, Kizakura and Celes were the top suspects in that order. And they weren't necessarily unrelated.

Chihiro and Hina were suspicious, the latter moreso, but there was no hard evidence.

"I need to rest, if only a few minutes." At times like these, it was more productive to recover stamina than trudge on half-baked. Lavender made sure the door was locked, barricaded it and the windows for good measure. If so much as a rat sneaked in, she would know. 

Wolves had blended into this flock of sheep...Or had the sheep mutated into wolves?

'Makoto...' he was the person who brought Kyoko out her shell. If she couldn't trust him...then she couldn't trust anyone.  If he really was the culprit, what would happen after she caught him? He was in need of desperate medical attention. She couldn't force the blame on him, but he certainly would blame himself, forever, probably.

Kyoko rested her head on the desk and let sleep take her. If the gods were merciful (and if she believed in them), she would wake up to find this farce was just a nightmare.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

Everyone had been drained of whatever energy they had left. Makoto was hit by a wave of depression after hearing what happened to Hifumi, Chihiro took it even worse; he collapsed into a mess and needed to be consoled by nearly everyone. The exceptions were Kyoko, who was morbidly eager to inspect the body...and Toko, who was adamant about knowing Togami's whereabouts. For very clear reasons, Makoto couldn't tell her _that_. Thankfully before he could open his mouth, Leon covered for him and gave - What Makoto hoped - was a convincing lie. Fortunately, since he couldn't lie to anyone to save his life, much less pull it off successfully in a situation like this. Toko backed off but her trust in the group had wavered substantially; the look she gave him was riddled with suspicion. And Makoto didn't think she was alone. With the group plagued by exhaustion and unable to feel safe, they organized a guard system. They'd rest in one room while 3 stood guard. Mondo, Sakura and Taka volunteered first. They were scattered across the hospital's main room. Makoto had his back to a wall, Chihiro falling asleep on his lap, Leon and Ryoko on both sides. Celes , Asahina (surprisingly) and Hiro were alone on separate corners. Taka was currently making  another attempt at consoling Toko. 

Kyoko...had barricaded herself elsewhere. Makoto insisted she joined them, only for the detective to, almost forcefully, insist she'd be left alone. She hadn't threatened with that gun yet but...Kyoko+gun is scary, end of story.

Makoto sighed 'So much for bonding' They were more divided now than ever, and the nail in the coffin manifested in the form of yet another headache. This one worse than the last. The luckster deftly maneuvered between his huddled friends, and approached the door. Mondo and the others were quick to let him pass after he informed them of his migraine. He had mixed feelings about that

"It's nice that they trust me so much...but is that a good idea? For all they knew, I could be the killer." Makoto muttered absent-mindedly. He trudged down the hallway, ignorant to how that line of reasoning contradicted his own stated view on companionship.

Makoto stopped by the room Kyoko resided in, hand half-way in the process of knocking before he retracted. "She doesn't seem to want me around right now." Sometimes he wished she could tone down the obstinance.

His destination was a little further ahead. The medicine cabinets to find...pretty much anything that could relieve his pain.

"This is where you were." Ryoko caught him in the middle of ingesting one of the pills.

"Yeah, I had a little bit of a headache. Did you come to find me?" He said after a drink of water.

"Feel bad about Hifumi?" Ryoko asked.

Did he ever? Unlike the girls' deaths which came as a complete shock nobody could have foreseen, Makoto felt Hifumi's was...totally avoidable, had they just paid proper attention. "...Yeah, I can't believe he was killed and we didn't notice. We could have done something."

"Doubt it, I'd say he died before you three left. Besides, I don't think we have any time to wallow on the past. What you intend to do in the future's more important, don't you think?" Ryoko argued in a voice removed of compassion.

"How are you so...Never mind." There was no use getting frustrated.

"Honestly, I'd be more worried about Kyoko." The amnesiac continued, making nothing of his half-hearted outburst.

"Who said I'm not?  I'm just hoping she won't run off solo...assuming she hasn't already."

"She's probably asleep...but that's not what I meant. Aren't you worried she'll start suspecting you?"

'What.'

" _What?_ I haven't done anything wrong!" Makoto yelled?

Ryoko closed in and stared him straight in the eye. "Are you sure? You'll swear that you haven't killed anyone?"

"I haven't!" Makoto said, resolutely. He couldn't believe she'd inquire that.

"Alright I believe you. There's no way you can be the killer." Ryoko pulled back and beamed a smile as the earlier tension vanished. Makoto heaved a sigh of relief, thankful she wasn't actually serious with that accusation. "But it would make sense for Kyoko to think that way; she's methodical and that makes her easy to read. As far as I can see, logic isn't working here, and I can't do anything about that. Then, the answer could be that the killer is out of their minds."

"Then why suspect me?" He wasn't about to diss his friends, but he was the "normal" guy in the group. From talent straight to his mindset.

"That you can ask this despite recent behavior is the problem. There's no point explaining it to you and it wouldn't convince Kyoko even if you did understand." Ryoko shook her head. 

"You phrased that like I belonged in a mental asylum." Makoto drawled. 

"Did I? Sorry, wasn't my intention." He pouted, unsure of how genuine she really was. His doubts were dispelled when the girl ruffled his hair. "I told you, I'm 100% sure you're innocent." 

"How can you be so sure?" He mumbled, slowly removing her palm.

"Do I need one?" She cocked her head. "You're my best friend and I decided to believe in you." Those words were said with enough sincerity to catch Makoto off-guard.

"Thank...you." He said, lamely, clearly overwhelmed and remembered Ryoko could throw curveballs like this. It was daunting to be held in such high-esteem by a girl with as much brains and beauty as Ryoko. That went double when you considered her overly aloof and disinterested personality.

It wouldn't be unfounded to consider Ryoko arrogantly selfish and cruel. In fact, Makoto was sure she appeared that way to an un-informed observer, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought along similar lines when they first met. However, the wasn't _quite_ true. Ryoko ego-centrism was...child-like; while she could be irresponsibly cruel, it was rarely anything more than playful teasing from her perspective. But, that was only if she became aware of you, otherwise she did nothing at all. The analyst had an under-developed view of the world and lived in a bubble much smaller and tougher than everyone else's. If you didn't assert yourself enough to penetrate that layer, then Ryoko would never notice you. It wasn't condescension, that meant acknowledgement.  And secretly, that bothered Makoto on two levels. The first was a deliberation on which perspective was worse: The conceit to look down on everyone or the ignorance that came with failing to realize anyone was there in the first place. The second issue was no less problematic. Ryoko was subdued by nature, like she was always holding back. If Makoto...or anyone didn't prompt the analyst, she wouldn't lift a finger. It was like conversing with a machine sometimes, and he had to admit that aspect of her character arguably irritated him the most, even as her friend.

Nevertheless, he appreciated her faith. "Ryoko...you're sort of dependable today."

"I try." She shrugged.

"That...wasn't supposed to be a compliment. You shouldn't push yourself; If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm here to listen." 

"You're horrible." She punched him in the arm, focusing on the slight dig instead of what actually mattered.

"I'm serious. It must be awful to lose a sibling." He couldn't imagine what he'd do if something happened to Komaru.

He felt like she was looking straight through him. "Yes. It kind of hurts." Her words were shoddy and in-eloquent, but real nonetheless.

Makoto nodded in acceptance. Then a sudden thought sprung into his mind. "Ryoko...hypothetical question. What would you do if I did turn out to be the culprit?" 

Ryoko considered the question with a hum, then answered. "Like I said, I'm on your side."

Makoto wasn't sure how to respond to her implication.

...

"Found you."

More arrivals. Makoto and Ryoko met with Chihiro and Leon trailing after him. Makoto immediately noticed the unusually determined expression that adorned on Chihiro's features. Leon on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever. Looking between Makoto and Ryoko and sporting a suggestive grin.

"Makoto...I think I know how we can protect ourselves." Chihiro said out of the blue.

Makoto and Ryoko traded stares. "What kind of protection?"

"The experiment can be used as a weapon if I just tweak it a bit. We can use 'It' as a security measure...but, only on the condition that you never to say anything to _anyone."_

"I know you've told me that project is top secret but is it really worth keeping with our lives at risk?" Chihiro was kinder than anyone, and he often considered everyone before himself. Makoto had trouble accepting a minor punishment...or even a somewhat major one would prevent the programmer from doing his best to ensure their safety...unless the demerit was neither minor or 'somewhat' major at all. In that case...what the heck was Hope's Peak Academy making him promise?

"Does it matter? If Chi's afraid of telling us then he must have a good reason." Ryoko interjected. "Or is that not enough? Ah, unless you're saying Chi's not trustworthy..."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Makoto yelled Upon seeing Chihiro's horror-stricken face. Of course Makoto would trust Chihiro, the day the programmer became a prime suspect for murder was the day he'd become an international athlete. Never going to happen. "I trust you, Chihiro."

Makoto closed his eyes in thought..."But could this weapon sounds dangerous." The last thing they need was to have this weapon backfire. Kyoko's rifle alone gave him the creeps.

Chihiro shook his head "'It' was designed with a safety on. It won't be lethal to _us_."

"Okaaay, but do we really need this thing?" Leon scratched his chin.

"It'd be the ultimate security, even equipped with a tracking system. We might even be able to figure out what happened to the others." Chihiro replied.

"But if we bring...whatever this is, back with us...won't the others see it? No point in keeping it a secret then." Leon scowled.

"That's not a problem, it's got a cloaking device and shock absorbers, you won't  see anything or even hear a sound."

Makoto, Ryoko and Leon shared a dumbfounded look amongst each other. "...What the _hell_ is this!?" The octave in Leon's voice rose. When did we go sci-fi?

"Didn't you tell Kyoko that we'd know if 'It' thing went loose?" Makoto pondered.

Chihiro nodded "Well, yeah. If the project was responsible for...killing the others, then they'd be in...a lot worse shape. The aftermath can't really be disguised. Plus those functions I mentioned aren't default settings and would need authorization to access."

"...I'll side with Leon here. What the hell is this?"

"Revolutionary tech...Um, I _did_ tell you whoever made this must have been a genius. Specifically, a genius engineer."

"Oh...like some kind of Ultimate Mechanic." Ryoko added.

Leon remained skeptical "I still think this is a bad idea. Like, Kyoko's got a _gun_. That's a damn good deterrent if I've seen one."

 ** _'That's not enough.'_** \- Makoto thought.

"We might as well consider it." Makoto interrupted, feeling a sharp sting in his head. "If Chihiro can control it then we should be fine."

"Dude, really?" Leon frowned.

"I don't see why not. We don't really know what we're up against here, and Chihiro worked up a lot of courage to tell us about it. We shouldn't just dismiss it."

Leon sighed. "Whatever. So how do we bring this toy of yours, here?"

"I just need to activate it on the fifth island...and someone to accompany me there." Chihiro said.

"What business would you lot have on the fifth island?" And...there was Taka

_'Oh boy...'_

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

 

"What are you four up to?" He'd seen Makoto wander off, then Ryoko and then the final two. Shouldn't they be more careful at a time like this?

"Um...we were-" The rest of Makoto's sentence was muffled out by Leon's palm, who answered instead "Nothing much. We were just trying to figure out how to get out of this mess."

Kiyotaka raised a skeptic eyebrow. "Wouldn't those ideas be best discussed with everyone?"

"I...don't think that's a good idea." Makoto said.

"Why?" Chihiro faced him.

"Because...it might be dangerous if the...traitor knows?" Makoto sounded like he was relaying those words off an un-memorized script. But Kiyotaka never imagined the day would come when even Makoto would openly call one of them a _traitor._

"If even _you're_ saying that...guess it must be true." Leon shared the sentiment.

"It has to be. I might not fully get what's going on. But at least one of these murders need to have been committed by us. There's no other explanation." Ryoko explained

"Babe, can you not say that with a smile?" Leon's expression turned sour.

"One of us...I can't believe that." Chihiro frowned.

"I... _want_ to keep trusting in everyone...but the circumstances aren't forgiving enough for that. The girls died right in front of us, and even Hifumi was killed easily, and we were just steps away." Tears threatened to fall from Kiyotaka's eyes. Some leader he was. Shortly after declaring he would see them all through this torturous night, there had already been another victim!

Makoto regretfully agreed, albeit choosing not to dwell on sorrow. "That's true. But we can't give up hope. What we have to do now is think about how the rest of us can survive, and I think Chihiro can help us with that. So, if we can have your permission...then-"

"I'll allow it." Kiyotaka cut him off.

"Eh? You haven't even heard about the plan."

"I'll trust in your judgement. But are you four alright with going alone? I suppose Leon has some muscle but..."

"Not you too. What am I, a twig?" Makoto pouted

"Maybe Mondo can come with us." Chihiro proposed.

"A wise choice. I can rest easy if bro goes with you. That will be one of my two conditions."

"What's the other?" Makoto asked.

"If any of you feels the slightest bit of danger. Run away." Kiyotaka warned. "I...don't want anyone else to die."

The others nodded. "We promise. All of us are coming back."

"Well said." He smiled.

"Good luck, everyone." Ryoko stood by _his_ side and waved at the others, earning odd looks.

"Huh? Aren't you coming with us?" Makoto said, surprised.

"I'd be of more use here." She didn't elaborate on what she meant.

"What was that about staying by my side?" Makoto frowned. Kiyotaka didn't know what that meant either, but it better not be about illicit relationships. This is still a school environment!

"I meant in spirit." She smiled.

Kiyotaka shook his head, having lost track of the conversation. Instead  Kiyotaka rushed over to inform Mondo of their new plan...which the moral compass himself wasn't exactly sure of. But, Chihiro could fill Bro in on the way. Thankfully, he wasn't averse to joining the party and was was more excited by going on the offensive. As for the rest of them, with Sakura and Kyoko around, they were safe enough. Kiyotaka saw the four off, hoping he made the right decision.

He escorted Ryoko back to the main lobby where everyone else waited. However, he felt a cold wind blowing behind him. Kiyotaka turned around, there was a straight path leading to the exit the others went through.

...He saw nothing.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

"Was it really a good idea to tell Taka about this? Glad we got that hard-ass' consent and all, but what happened to the less people who knew, the better?" Leon walked in front of the formation. Makoto and Chihiro were in the middle, with Mondo carrying the back.

"About that...I didn't want Taka to...uh, despair?" That was an odd way to phrase it, but it felt appropriate here.

"Despair?" Leon scrunched his face, hinting he agreed with the cheesy terminology.

Makoto nodded. "He looked like he'd hit his limit." It wasn't unsurprising given the older boy's tendency to assume responsibility over everything. Taka likely blamed himself for all the events that transpired...and that was bad. Makoto couldn't let him become one of them...

"...One of who?" Makoto whispered to himself. It was on the tip of his tongue...just a little more and he'd be able to remember.

"Taka's tougher than you guys think. There's nothing he hates more than letting anyone down and when his mind's set on something, he goes through with it. If he breaks, it'll be after everything's said and done and we get off this island." Mondo vouched for the moral compass. "Course, I ain't gonna let bro sulk alone either."

"You're right." Makoto smiled, forgetting his earlier train of thought. Mondo's presence was greatly reassuring, the delinquent leader was about as up-to-date as the rest of them, save for what happened to Togami. He was nonchalant towards Chihiro's explanation and left it at "I work with my fists. I'll leave the thinking to the rest of you."

Sometimes simple was best.

"Good thing the rain cleared up." Chihiro said. Makoto shifted his umbrella to the side, to feel nary a drop touching his head. The clouds were still gray, thus the chance for a resurgence of rainfall was likely.

"Walking out at night give me the creeps. How much longer till we get there, Chi?" Leon shivered.

"3 or four minutes." The small boy answered. "And uh, I'll need to ask you guys to wear blindfolds before we go in. You can take them off after the cloaking feature's turned on."

"Whatever. Just don't kill me when I'm not looking." They stopped and turned towards the baseball star with disappointment etched on their faces.

"It was a joke." Leon desperately needed to work on timing.

"We're here." Chihiro stated. The four stopped in front of a large tower, one of the tallest spires on the island.

"This gloomy tower's where you've been running to? Gives me the creeps." Leon's voice cracked. Makoto consented that he too, was disturbed by the tower. Really, the entire 5th island gave off the same baleful ambiance, like this one area was a singularity, sectioned off from the rest of Jabbberwock island.

"The place is wide open. The entrance one of those fancy automatic doors that come down like curtains?" Mondo asked.

"They're called hangar doors." Makoto corrected the biker...but he definitely wasn't right either way, because the entrance looked...broken. The hoodie motioned his head to the left of the expansive entrance, and a few meters away, he spotted an out of place door. Part of it.

"Uh...is _that_ the door?" Leon pointed to the other side, where the second half laid on the ground. Did something bulldoze it's way out of here?

"Let's...go see." Chihiro stuttered, his legs shaking as he took steps into the building.

Makoto took a step forward and tripped over himself, his knee banging against the hard ground. "Ow."

"Watch your step, man." Leon jeered.

"It wasn't my fault. I think I tripped over something." Makoto stood up, searching for what he collided with. It felt like a thick rope...or wire of some kind...but there was nothing there.

The boy squinted his eyes, feeling something distorted about the ground near him. He stretched out his right arm for the ground.

"Oi, Makoto. Get over here before the rain starts. Chihiro's going on ahead too!" Leon called to him from inside the research facility.

Makoto frowned, retracting his arm and turning to follow the others. Soon, he disappeared into the entrance.

 

-???-

 

"H-he didn't spot me." Toko Fukawa, who had followed the boys to this area sighed in relief when Makoto entered the building. She believed the boy had caught onto her when he turned around and started looking for something. The author didn't know what they intended to do here, but it was beyond suspicious. "They're hiding something." She glared in their direction and followed after them, and not a moment too soon, for the storm resumed it's seemingly endless session of rain. Toko, too, entered tower.

...

A flicker of light shone near the area where the average boy had attempted to search - a distortion in space, he called it. Makoto attributed the sensation to a rope of some kind, but that dizzyingly off-the mark. That coil lifted off the ground and rose to the air, forming an arc. No sooner, it slammed back onto the ground in a whip-like a motion. The emerging sound  befitted the weather; a crash as loud as thunder. The pavement was battered, the impact left a line-shaped deep indent 3 centimeters wide on the ground. A single swipe from I **ts tail** would have been enough to cleanly detach the head from a human's body in an instant. 

The heavy rain parted against what appeared to be thin air...yet the rain revealed a beast-like shape of massive proportions; It's size was equal to a small house even while crouched like a sleeping lion. It's form circled the tower grounds as It keenly observed the children entering its depths. The creature's appearance couldn't be perceived by the eye....but for a moment, _Its_ eyes could be perceived. Ruby-red pearls shone bright as It let out a suppressed growl.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

It occurred to Makoto that Chihiro had completely forgotten about the blindfolds. The boys maneuvered their way in the hexagon-shaped tower - yes, maneuvered, for the place was completely trashed. It was fortunate that the floor centers were spacious, that way they didn't need to bump into anything. Makoto looked up to the ceiling, then spotted a sizable opening far off the other end of the room. the area may have been needlessly wide, it was like a warehouse. Chihiro didn't say a word the whole time, but they could hear the quickening of his abated breath. 

The shortest's anxieties proved warranted when they reached the middle floor via the staircases. They arrived at a hangar, and much like the rest of the building, it was all but destroyed. The flickering and sparks of electricity and broken machinery abound cemented it. Makoto searched around the area, seeing a few exits; some caved in, others accessible. There was also a large door on the other side of the room. Makoto presumed it connected to the one on the first floor.

"...It's gone." Chihiro's words were so low they came out as a breathless whisper. The light-brown haired boy staring only at the center of the room. There was a wide space there, that Makoto could only assume was meant to hold "something."

"It can't be gone...I didn't activate it." The programmer slowly walked to the center in a daze. He touched air with his short arms, but to Makoto's eyes, Chihiro was desperately searching for what he hoped was still there.

Makoto crossed eyes with Mondo and Leon, who were similarly at a loss. It seemed they were looking to _him_ to provide emotional support. But Makoto didn't even know what was going on. Anything he said would come out as half-baked at best.

"If the academy finds out, I'm done for."  Chihiro dropped onto his knees, seemingly losing all hope...

Makoto placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and knelt down with him. "I'm not really sure what it is you've lost, but it might still be here and we just overlooked it. Let's investigate a bit more.

"Overlooked?" Chihiro turned to him with an exasperated look; one that denoted Makoto as being completely off-base, and expectedly so. It was entirely uncharacteristic of him. "Makoto...you can't _miss_ Jabberwock; It's 15 meters tall."

Makoto gulped. At least he finally received a name...and an imposing height description. In all likelihood, that was info Chihiro wasn't meant to divulge but he looked far from caring at this point. He sported a dejected expression, his skin pale with fright, and bright red rings around his eyes...huh?

"It's going to be alright, Chihiro. I'll help you look for it. We'll make sure everyone swears that they didn't see or hear a thing about Jabberwock, okay?" After they got out of their current mess, of course. Makoto pulled the smaller boy into a hug and caressed his hair. He heard a small consenting "okay"

"I don't have a choice anyway." Chihiro said.

Makoto pulled back. Chihiro didn't appear to have been fully convinced, but he seemed more positive than seconds before. Most importantly, the red in his eyes had...diminished somewhat. They were barely visible, but Makoto could still see the outlines. That color filled him with an innate sense of dread.

"So where'd this Jabberwock run off to? D'you accidentally leave it on?" Leon asked out of the blue.

"It was shutdown when I left and nobody could turn it back on. Only Togami and I have access." Chihiro answered, despondently.

"Well we can forget that. Togami kicked the bucket, remember?" Leon scratched his hair, completely oblivious to the monumentally stupid words he just uttered.

"What!?" Mondo yelled, visibly shocked. "When the fuck did Togami die!?"

Makoto groaned. "Not helping, Leon!"

"Whoops."

"He's telling the truth. We found Togami's body when we found Chihiro in the library." Makoto explained

"Chihiro was there too!?" 

"...I'm okay." Chihiro insisted. Makoto didn't buy it for a second. With how persistent Chihiro had been about this project, Makoto figured he'd be in a panic. thus the programmer's dispirited state was nothing short of abnormal. However for the sake of the atmosphere, Makoto didn't raise that point.

"Uh, let's not tell Kyoko about this. She'd probably shoot me." Leon tried to snake his way out of his blunder.

"Drama queen." Mondo spat, but Makoto felt Leon's fears were very on-point. "So...where'd you leave Togami?" Mondo felt very uncomfortable saying that. It was mystery to none that the two didn't get along in the least. To be fair, Togami got along with almost nobody, but his relationship with Hina and Mondo was particularly... _abysmal._ However, even Mondo didn't think the heir deserved to die. 

"In the library. But we stashed the body where nobody would find it easily. Can't have someone like Toko wandering in on it and snapping." 

"Leon!" Makoto smacked his forehead. _'Kyoko will bury him if she finds out!'_

The baseball haphazardly let the next biggest secret slip. By no means was it intentional, but another accident born of his casual nature. Leon's relaxed disposition had been a great asset in this time of turmoil and stress; because of him, they could keep their nerves calm - Perhaps even retaining a sense of normality that had run dry like a well in the Sahara desert. And that effect was greatest upon the self-absorbed athlete. Indeed, it could be said that unless personally confronted, Leon's aptitude for despair was staggeringly low. However, much like a pendulum, the positive and negative effect of his behavior swung back and forth. Leon's personality had been a boon thus far...however, it was time for the pendulum to swing to the other side. Leon's callousness was about to cost him.

It would cost all of them.

" _ **St**_ ** _ash_ ed?**""

Makoto felt like the voice send tremors down his body.

The boys looked back to the exitway, where Toko Fukawa stood. From a single glance, Makoto could see the infuriated author had not taken an umbrella with her. Although the rain had cleared, it hadn't dispersed, and it was certainly no place to be stalking around unprotected. That Toko did so meant she had been desperate. A number of possibilities ran through Makoto's mind in an instant, and none were too favorable.

"'Stashed him somewhere?'" She repeated, her tone no less sharp than prior. No-That wasn't quite right, it was calmer than before. "Like he was some piece of garbage you could dispose of when it was inconvenient?" It was an eerie calmness, not unlike the transient peace before the coming of the storm 

But Leon didn't appear to have picked up on that subtlety. He wouldn't have responded to what was clearly a rhetorical question otherwise. "I didn't mean it like that."

Makoto didn't care to tell Leon that he was only making things worse with his constant prattling. Instead, his focus was on solving the pieces of a metaphorical puzzle, and it was centered on the oh-so-out-of-place red color that burned from Toko's eyes, replacing her normal purple. Not at all dissimilar to Chihiro's current condition.

_'What's wrong about this situation? It feels familiar...and wrong.'_

"I knew it." Toko walked towards them ever so slowly. "Chihiro was by his side for weeks. They'd even left together, but Chihiro returned and he didn't? Something happened and I thought if I followed you, I'd find answers. Who's responsible"

**_'Who? Wasn't it Her?'_ **

"Haa? It's the killer we've been looking for, who else?" Leon continued digging that hole. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, failing to even recognize that Toko was not slurring.

_**'It was always Her.'** _

"Killer? You mean one of us?" Toko continued.

"Uh...I don't really know about that. Though that's what Kyoko's saying. It might be true but...even then, we have no idea who." 

_**'The devil responsible for all of this; the bitch who forced us into this twisted game.'** _

"...Leave it to me. I can find out." Toko stopped in her tracks, all traces of purple vanished from her eyes.

"H-how...and you don't look so hot today, Toko. Your eyes I mean..." As dense as Leon was, self-preservation overcame all other senses. He felt it, just as they all did. An intensity that could never belong to the bespectacled girl.

"It's called trial and error. If I kill all of you, I'll get the right one eventually!" The personality known as Toko Fukawa corroded, as Syo's madness was brought to the surface.

**_'He would end this killing game.'_ **

It was pure coincidence. Though the source of their grief was directly related, the chasm in the depths of their comprehension as vast as a canyon. Yet, for an instant, The Ultimate Lucky Student and The Ultimate Writing Prodigy's emotions resonated, the raw hatred in their hearts synergized and exploded outwards.

And so, Makoto remembered everything. He remembered Junko Enoshima.

 

-Kyoko Kirigiri-

 

Kyoko finally woke. She assessed her surroundings, and to her displeasure, found herself to be in the same place as when she drifted asleep. That meant the present situation was no trick of the mind, and she was very much awake. Many classmates had lost their lives, the killer was still on the loose, and she could count on her hands the people she could still trust. The time indicated she'd slept for no longer than 2 hours, but that was plenty enough to rejuvenate the detective. Additionally, her mind had not squandered time. While Kyoko still lacked the full picture, she had subconsciously made headway in her investigation. The killer was still elusive, however the weapon...the method for how the girls were killed. Kyoko could solve that now.

She unlocked the room door and stepped into the halls, where she passed Sakura on the way.

"I hope your sleep was pleasant." The fighter greeted.

"What makes you think I was resting?"

"Your complexion. There is a refreshed aura about you, and I pray you will use that to our advantage."

"I plan on it. Has anything happened in my absence?"

Sakura broke the news. "Makoto, Leon, Chihiro and Mondo absconded somewhere. Kiyotaka seems to know the details."

" _...What?_ " What did she mean they've disappeared? Where could they have gone at a time like this...and to not take her with them!?

"Where's Kiyotaka?" Kyoko commanded.

Sakura pointed to the main lobby, but just before Kyoko left, the giant stopped her. "Kyoko, there is one matter I must discuss with you."

The detective arched an eyebrow, then caught sight of what laid in the fighter's hands. A cylinder Kyoko never wished to see again. "Is that...?"

"Yes. One of the empty canisters, not among the two that Ikusaba and Sayaka drank from."

"Where did you get it?"

"The room Makoto slept in."

 

 

\---

 

"Why did you let them go?" Kyoko confronted Kiyotaka in front of the others . 

"It wasn't an easy decision, but they seemed confident that what they'll bring back would help. I know it's dangerous, but with Mondo there, they should be fine." The moral compass defended his actions.

"We don't even know _who_ we're up against."

"Don't we? The culprit is crafty, to be sure, but they've overplayed their hand with Hifumi's death." Celes interjected. Kyoko knew what she was getting at, and was in agreement on that point alone. There were quite a few clues now. "They've resorted to the same tactic of poisoning our ranks when our guard was down. Does that not suggest they have no other means of harm? If they could simply overpower us, then they would have done so right from the start. Between those four, I don't believe they're in any danger."

"They would be even _safer_  if they were with the group." Kyoko seethed.

"...I find this very hard to digest from the same girl that actively isolated herself from the rest of us...unless...I'm misunderstanding you?" Kyoko could see the gears start to turn in Celes' head. "Unless...you believe one of them _is_ the danger." The gambler's eyes narrowed

"Impossible. Right, Kyoko?" Kiyotaka asked.

Kyoko said nothing. The lack of refutation itself was her answer.

"...You're kidding. That's Makoto, Chihiro, Mondo and _Leon_  you're talking about. None of those four could be the culprit?"

"Why?" Kyoko asked, stunning the others. "Why couldn't it be them? Can you say for sure that not one of them is compromised? Are you really so arrogant that you believe you can know another so completely?"

"Um...well..." Kiyotaka relented "No! I still don't believe it. We'd have to discard everything we _do_ know about them." 

"So?" Kyoko countered his argument-from-belief with cold hard logic. "Then discard it. Remove all preconceptions and the truth becomes so much easier to resolve."

"...Interesting. You're adamant that our culprit is among those 4." Celes' nonchalantly played with her nails, but Kyoko could see the fire in her eyes. She wanted a culprit as much as everyone else in the room.

"I have a question." Ryoko raised her hand. "Why do you guys keep saying 4? Are you forgetting Toko?"

_'...What?'_

"Where is she?" Kyoko asked.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her at all." Kiyotaka said. 

"D-Don't tell me they got her too!" Asahina panicked. 

"No...Toko went after the guys...You didn't notice, Taka?" Ryoko confirmed. This was getting ridiculous. Why couldn't they all stay in one place?

Kiyotaka vehemently denied the notion. "Of course not! I would have _stopped_ her. Why didn't you!?"

" _You_ weren't going out of your way, I thought that was fine." 

"I didn't _see_ her. What a blunder!" Kiyotaka berated himself

"That's not so bad. Toko could've just joined the search, and hell, maybe they'd find Toges too. She's practically his bloodhound anyway." Yasuhiro brought up one possibility, at least it would be if Togami wasn't already dead. On a much worse note, Toko being near a poor liar like Makoto...it wasn't impossible that the details of the heir's demise might slip. The worst-case scenario here would involve Toko's mental instability and that could lead to...

...Yeah, with Makoto's luck, that would probably happen.  What is _with_ these people? It's like they were actively sabotaging each other by making the most horrendous decisions at the worst possible time. "Everyone, get ready. We're going after them." In the meanwhile..."Ryoko, come with me." The detective forcefully grabbed the redhead's arm and brought her into a secluded room. Ryoko didn't struggle at all.

"Tell me everything you know, and I mean everything you've seen since I left. Don't leave a single line of dialogue unspoken." Kyoko snarled, not sparing not a moment getting down to business. One of the other benefits of clearing her head during sleep. Kyoko acknowledged that she'd made a fundamental mistake from the get-go; there was a reliable weapon that had been in front of her eyes from the start and she'd failed to fully exercise it. Kyoko had asked all the wrong questions. Ryoko was a database of information, but she'd never divulge it until they asked or it was too late. And recently? It was often a combination of both. Kyoko wouldn't trail behind anymore. 

"Sure. I've figured this mystery out a little while back anyway." She said

 Ryoko had mechanically provided Kyoko with a recount of the night's events in excruciating detail.

"I see." Kyoko said. The detective had caught her culprit. "Let's join the others and head to the fifth Island."

 

-Mixed-

 

"Kyahahahaha! Me alone with 4 guys looking all hot and bothered. It's a dream come true!" Genocider's repulsive laughter filled the air...until she stopped abruptly. "Or that's what I'd like to say...but I'm feeling a bit different today. I can't put my finger on it." She said in a low voice

Toko and Syo didn't retain memories from the other's personal experiences...however, they still shared emotions. Not unlike how Makoto perceived Leon days ago, Syo would be overcome by emotions that she could neither place nor understand. In this case, she was feeling despair.

"...She didn't sneeze." Chihiro **calmly** analyzed, like the appearance of Genocider didn't phase him. "There wasn't any blood around either. How did Toko transform?" Instead he sounded almost scientifically curious. Makoto could theorize why. Toko had fallen to despair, her personality eroded, and in turn, she became Syo; the one person the skeptic feared and hated more than anyone else in the world, and she did it of her own will. Consequently, Makoto doubted this was a shift in personality like the previous instances but rather, Toko had _melded_ into Genocider.

He lacked hard data to back his hypothesis, but this was a phenomenon impossible to prove with logic from the start. Manipulating others into acting out in the worst possible ways, counter to their own values. That was Enoshima's trap, and he'd fallen right into it. In Makoto's haste and ignorance, he overlooked the writing prodigy's obsession over the Togami heir. Toko was distrustful, overly anxious and paranoid by nature, making her highly vulnerable. How did he miss that!?

"Straaange, I'm feeling waaaay too unhinged right now, like I've finally been let off the leash. Why's that?" Genocider crossed her arms.

_'If he doesn't do something, everyone will die just like last time!'_

"And you boys...say, did you all dress up or something? I can't tell what it is but all 3 of you are looking oh-so-bangable today. Even you, Makkie!"

"...oh no." Makoto's eyes widened slowly as Genocider reached into the openings of her skirt. 

"But out of the four...little Chi over there turning me on the most!" Out from it was Genocider's patented scissor-blades. With fluidity and motion befitting a champion track-runner, she dashed towards them, arms outstretched, the scissor's tip aimed at Chihiro's throat.

However before she could reach. A strong grip latched onto Genocider's arm, no less than a second later, the serial killer found herself flung back.

"Shit's moving too fast for me to follow...but you're pretty dangerous, ain't ya?" Mondo Owada had been the deterrent. He scratched his unconventional hair, not knowing what to make of the bizarre turn of events. "Why don't you chill out for a sec."

"Kyahahahaha! Getting jealous, beefcake? Not bad, pretty boys are at the top of the list, but even I enjoy a strong, _assertive_ man from time to time~" Genocider blushed, her attention focused entirely on the biker.

"You heard the wacko. Take Chihiro and leave her to us." Mondo advised with a confident grin.

Makoto nodded, and grabbed Chihiro by the arm. The luckster dashed towards the openings on the other side of the room, leaving Mondo and Leon to face-off against The Ultimate Murderous Fiend.

"W-What the hell do we do? I know that's Toko over there, but it's also a fucking serial killer!" Leon panicked. 

"Yeah so? You don't lead the Crazy Diamonds without tango'ing with sick fucks every now and then. Let's knock some sense into her and bring Toko back." In true stereotypical fashion, the delinquent cracked his knuckles, then smirked mockingly at Leon. "Or what, don't tell me you're chickening out and that bat's just for show."

"Like hell. Who do you think I am?" Leon put on a show of false bravado. He psyched himself up, just like a ritual before a big game.

Mondo chuckled, then turned to Genocider with a glare. "Yo, Syo. Before we get down to business, there's just one thing I gotta ask...D'you kill the others?"

"...Others? You mean someone died!?"

That was all Mondo needed to hear. Although his words seemed to trigger a reaction in the delusional killer. "There is it again...What's this feeling?...hahahaha." Genocider laughed in euphoria. "Hey, help me figure this out." She pointed her scissors at the two and unleashed a nauseating amount of killing intent.

"This..." Mondo wielded a broken pipe he to use as a weapon and met the sickening mass of bloodlust called Syo head-on "...is such a fucking waste of time!"

Two of Japan's most renowned criminals clashed, raising the curtain on the night's final act. 

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

"There another exit here, Chihiro?" Makoto asked the boy he was currently piggy-backing. Chihiro didn't seem inclined to run and left Makoto with no choice. 

"We can keep running until we find a staircase downwards and go around the building." Chihiro said. 

Makoto nodded and picked up the pace. His mind worked double time - He planned on escaping in the very truest sense. Not just from Genocider, but the horrors of the island in general. And to do that, he needed to rat out Enoshima's despair agent, the blackened of the third round.

"Makoto?"

And Makoto could do exactly that. He didn't know how, or why, but he knew _**who**_. There little evidence, because he hadn't properly investigated the murders. Still, he knew. He just had to think like Junko Enoshima. He didn't know that woman, nor did he want to. But mere minutes of standing in her presence was enough for Makoto to analogue the witch to a devil. One who spat on human values and tradition. She craved despair...so who would best elicit that outcome?

"Makoto..."

There was only one.

"Makoto _, watch out._ "

"Huh." Makoto stuttered before impacting a wall and falling back on the floor along with the programmer.

He rubbed his reddened forehead. "You alright, Chihiro?"

"I think so...where were you _looking_?" Chihiro stood.

"I spaced out for a second."

'A wall huh'...Makoto noticed a red spot where his forehead collided with the wall.

"Makoto, you're bleeding..." Chihiro said.

He didn't need to caress his head again, he felt blood stream down his face and onto the ground. Bad, because he was injured. Worse, because it left a trail if Genocider came running after them.

"Just my luck."

"Hang on. We passed by a medical office a few doors back, we can get a first aid kit there." Chihiro's intimate familiarity with the building proved to be an asset. After making sure they weren't being followed, the two settled into the room and locked it behind them. Makoto scanned the space and found a first-aid kit strapped to the wall. He procured bandage wrappings and sat on a chair while Chihiro disinfected the wound and applied the aid. Meanwhile, Makoto took notice of the room's poor state. It wasn't nearly damaged to the same extent as the bottom floors, but it was a mess nonetheless.

"Did whatever...that destroyed this place really need to come here to?"

"No. It was like this from the start." Chihiro said, to Makoto's surprise. "Really, only the hangar circle where we left the others is actually being used. I don't think they bothered with upkeep for the rest of the building."

"...Isn't this a research facility?"

"It is. Research for one thing, "

"Jabberwock?"

Chihiro nodded. There wasn't a need for research staff, because the project could only be handled by a select few people...and if Jabberwock was responsible for decimating this building, then Makoto hoped to never meet it.

"I don't really get it. What's the point of the tower then?" He asked.

"Beats me-And we're done." Chihiro finished patching him up.

"Thanks." Makoto said. "Back to running for our lives." He said sarcastically. As he took one step up, the medical aid kit poorly fashioned to the wall came down, hitting the ground with an audible thud. Barring the noise potentially alerting anyone to their presence, something else caught Makoto's attention.

"Is that an envelope?" With a scrutinizing gaze, Makoto observed the bare section of the wall that was previously obscured by the box. An envelope was taped to the back. He looked to Chihiro, who didn't make a move to indicate he knew about this.

Makoto ripped it out from the wall, noting the aged sheet on his fingertips...and a dark red stain on the edges. A red liquid had long since dried. On the back read 'For the survivors.' His eyes widened and ripped the envelope open. Inside was a handwritten letter, with no address.

_"If you've found this, then you must be pretty fortunate. Unfortunately, I don't really know who I'm addressing right now. If you're an offender, then  please hang this note back if you don't mind. You probably won't but who knows, maybe you're a mannerly guy/girl who happens to like killing. It couldn't hurt to ask. If you're one of the new Ultimates scrambling for your lives, then good news, this message is for you, and it might just improve your chances! That might be presumptuous of me to say, but I think the circumstances warrant a bit of help. Of course, this won't be for free. I need to test you to see if you've really got what it takes to win this killing game. I've already been disappointed before so I hope you'll be different. Go to the Final Dead Room and win the highest setting of Russian Roulette. Your reward is there."_

Makoto deadpanned, stunned by a combination of sheer disbelief and the audacity the letter held within. 'What in the world was this?' It sounded like they knew exactly what was happening on this island, but the content was damn near incoherent - The writing itself was clearly rushed indicating the writer was in a panic, but the words were inappropriately casual. Not to speak of the placement, the letter was hidden in a completely obscure location, it would have been impossible to find for anyone who needed it!  Who the heck wrote this?...Oh, there's more.

"P.S. You're probably wondering how I knew somebody would find the letter in this remote area. Multiple reasons for that actually - It's embarrassing to say but I've got my back against the wall even now so I don't really have too many options. Serves trash like me right. Still, I'm sure someone will find this letter, because I'm lucky that way. You see, I'm..."

Makoto read the name aloud "Class 77-B's Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I haven't forgotten the 77th class.
> 
> Next chapter will end the arc, and it'll be the biggest twist since chapter 8...probably.


	17. Secondo Maestro / The Second Master

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when this story was only about a bunch of teenagers vacationing/killing each other on an island? About that...

-Kyosuke Munakata-

 

Kyosuke Munakata and Juzo Sakakura docked on a remote island surrounded by the ocean waves. Weeks ago, they received a call from Kazuo Tengan; an old teacher who vanished off the face of the Earth years ago, when he was needed most. Kyosuke was here to get answers...although it appeared Tengan had other plans for him. Before the Ex-Student Council President stood an enormous tower that occupied 90% of the island's width. Unlike Jabberwock, this was clearly no resort, but an outpost.

 _'An outpost for what?'_ \- Kyosuke thought. Not a single man or woman had been sighted on the outskirts of the massive tower.

"Be careful, Sakakura. This might be a trap." Kyosuke warned. One could never be too careful in uncharted territory. Sakakura didn't raise so much as a grunt in response for the boxer, Kyosuke's word was God's law. If the white-haired man decreed it, then it must have been true. Upon entering the facility, they were greeted by an unusual sight on the floor. 

A tick formed on Sakakura's head as he came across the unpleasant, yet familiar sight. Kyosuke hadn't even been given the time to ask his friend to wake the sleeper before Sakakura kicked him square on the sides.

"What was that for?" The boy let out a harsh grunt, waking immediately after the hit. Annoyance spread on his features until he recognized his assailant "...Ah...that makes sense. You're about the only person I know that'd kick a defenseless person for no reason."

"And there's only one dumbass _I_ know that'd nap on the floor while on the job. You haven't changed one bit, Hijirihara." 

Takumi Hijirihara, Tengan's protégé and bodyguard. Surprising, given he was several years younger than both Kyosuke and Sakakura, even more so than those children on Jabberwock island. Despite the age gap, the boy had been a student at HPA around the same time, however Kyosuke used 'student' in the loosest sense possible. Hijirihara socialized with nobody, never attended classes, and wasn't even required to take practical exams. His existence in HPA was one of the well-kept mysteries among the students, one Kyosuke had never been able to solve. Not even Sakakura, who'd spied on HPA as head of security under Kyosuke's command. Even Genocider Syo's true identity (which Kyosuke fully intended on using as a bargaining chip later on) was within otherwise classified documents Sakakura obtained, yet nothing about Hijirihara's background could be located.

"Not going to say anything?" Sakakura asked the boy. Kyosuke was fine with letting his friend do the talking, the two were far more acquainted than he.

Hijirihara regarded them with lazy red eyes. "Take it easy on me...this is my first time seeing anyone from my school days. I don't really know what to do at reunions."

"...Take us to Tengan, idiot."

Recognition dawned on Hijirihara's face as he clapped his hands "Boss told me to escort you guys upstairs. Good on you for figuring that out, Juzo...might just be my imagination, but you seem smarter than I remember."

"Control yourself, Sakakura. We don't have time for bickering." Kyosuke inserted himself to the conversation, hoping to stop his friend's outburst...however. "Uh...Kyosuke? I didn't say anything." Sakakura was surprisingly calm.

Kyosuke cleared his throat. "...Forgive me. I expected you would rise to his provocation." 

Sakakura wore a lopsided grin. "With this guy? Not a chance, since he's not a smartass. You don't know because you never talked to him...or anyone really, but Hijirihara here's what you call a natural-born idiot."

"I'll ignore that." Hijirihara said. "Now, let's go. Tengan's waiting on the top floor." With that, the three marched into the elevator awaiting them.

"This is a pretty big place you got here. Where's your staff?" Sakakura asked- No. He interrogated...but such a direct method of questioning was unlikely to yield results.

"We don't have any. This research facility is mostly empty and won't be in use for some time."

 _'...Natural born idiot, was it?'_ Perhaps he would be wise to take a backseat to Sakakura this once.

"Research facility?" The boxer prodded.

He twirled his finger index finger into the air, continuing his explanation"I think we have quite a lot across the globe. Even on that island you visited. This one's among the largest though."

Kyosuke's eyes flashed with suspicion. Jabberwock Island is connected, just as he thought.

"Hey...could you fill me in on something?" Hijrihara asked.

"What?"  Sakakura replied.

"I might be remembering wrong, but didn't there used to be three of you? What happened to the hyper maid with the big ones?" He gestured towards his chest.

It took a considerable amount of self-restraint for Kyosuke not to retaliate, and even that may have proved insufficient if he said another word about Chisa.

"None of your damn business." Sakakura replied, then whispered low enough where only Kyosuke could hear. "Calm down, or _I'll_ be the one who loses it."

Hijirihara half-shrugged. "We're here." With a dinging sound, the elevator door opened, revealing a long hallway. The two fell behind, keeping a notable distance from the boy.

"Well, what do you think?" Sakakura inquired.

"There has to be a relation. Whatever answers we need will be gotten from Tengan. Let's wait and see for now." Kyosuke said.

Hijirihara stopped at the large door. "Hmm...There’s something I'm forgetting."

"Just open it." The taller man bashed his knuckle against the teen's skull.

"That hurt." Hijirihara whined in a voice that could not have been further from pained. "Please refrain from violence." 

He opened the door. In an instant, Kyosuke measured the full breadth of the surroundings in front of his eyes. The room was of average-size, not much bigger than what he'd find conference. Decoration was similarly scarce, in fact, it was a little too minimalist. But design couldn't be farther from Kyosuke's mind. The only scene that required his absolute attention was the long rectangular table in the middle, and more importantly, the individuals who surrounded it.

Sitting in the chair furthest down and facing him was none other than his old mentor, Tengan. The man aged as long as Kyosuke'd known him...hadn't aged a day in the last 2 years ago. His form was as feeble as he remembered...however, the disposition and dignity the elder wielded had not diminished.

"It has been too long, Munakata." Tengan's expression was as that of a grandfather reuniting with their kin. He then gazed at Sakakura with a humorous smile, like someone who'd just been told an amusing but fully anticipated joke. "And you too, Sakakura. I am pleased to see you are both well."

"Wasn't Munakata the only one permitted to enter?" One of the men said. Kyosuke's eyebrows furrowed. _'That man...I know that face.'_ That short blond hair, large muscular frame  and kingly disposition...that man was Lucius Nevermind, the monarch of Novoselic Kingdom. He'd retreated into the shadows after rumors of the princess' death. What was he doing here?

Kyosuke's focused widened beyond Tengan and truly encompassed the room. Counting HPA's former headmaster, there were 14 seats. Among them, more familiar faces stood out. Kyosuke had never met any of them, but as one aspiring to climb the political ladder, he would never make the mistake of not keeping track of potential allies, rivals and competitors. The prime minister of Japan, Germany...CEOs of corporations of national or global influence like Tokuichi Towa and more, such men and women of high status were present here.

_'What is going on here?'_

"Well, Takumi? You were given very precise instructions, weren't you?" Tengan addressed the boy fondly. Likely aware that this very outcome would come about.

"My bad. I forgot." The idiot said plainly.

"...As punishment, you will be made to stand for the entire meeting." Tengan said.

'Stand?'...Kyosuke noticed the empty seats. Of the 14, 4 were absent. Hijirihara presumably occupied one (an absurdity in of itself for a child to sit among world leaders), the other 3 were missing. No...if Kyosuke's hunch was correct. One of those seats was meant for...himself?

As if to confirm his theory, another spoke. "So, this is the man to replace Fenrir? Not bad from appearances alone. He knows how to keep composure too." Kasumi Kuzuryu...the wife of the famed underworld boss...and a woman who'd also lost both her children. Standing behind her was a silver-haired man with red eyes veiled underneath rectangular spectacles. He wore a traditional black kimono and had a sword strapped to his hilt. A bodyguard, most likely.

_'Nevermind...Kuzuryu. Those names belonged to the students missing from Chisa's class.'_

"Unless I'm mistaken, I have yet to agree to replace anybody. Explain yourselves." At a pivotal moment like this, he couldn't afford to show weakness. It would appear Sakakura realized that as well, for he hadn't said a word since they arrived. Dialogue was not his place to intervene.

The figures once again turned to Hijirihara.

"Ah...I knew I forgot something else." The culprit averted his eyes, hands in pocket. 

Kyosuke arched an eyebrow.

Tengan chose to answer the unspoken question. "Takumi brings...a different kind of dynamic to the room. Never mind him. While it should be apparent, the reason I've called you hear today is to have you join the Future Foundation. Rejoice Kyosuke, the dream you've longed for, is finally within your grasp."

"My dream? What is this? Why are individuals of your status gathered here?"

An older woman giggled. "You are still a child, my boy. Sometimes you should let your imaginations run wild like one; children's eyes are much clearer than we adults, who often cram too much nonsense in our heads to understand even the simplest matters."

"We are all very busy people, certainly not the kind to take vacations from our offices without purpose. Use your head. Why would we be cramped in one room while the rest of the world believes us to be elsewhere?" Said the prime minister.

"You are all...collaborating?" This went beyond the realm of a childish prank.

"This some kind of Illuminati?" Sakakura spoke up

"More or less." Hijirihara answered. 

"I will leave that to your imagination. But do not hold doubts. My offer is genuine." Tengan stated his terms.

Kyosuke considered the options. What would he gain by accepting? Likely everything, if what they said was true. What reason would he have to refuse? The conditions were abrupt, he had no time to verify the validity of their claim.

"And were I to refuse?" He asked.

"I repeat. I leave that to your imagination." 

The implications were clear, he and Sakakura would be silenced. Sensible, and Kyosuke would have considered doing the same. In that case, logic dictates he should accept without hesitation.

 _However_...

"Tengan, I don't know where you've been or what you've been doing all this time, but there are questions I need answered."

"And those questions take priority over the one I've proposed?"

Kyosuke closed his eyes. Chisa's memory sprung to mind, the images were fading with time. He could no longer recall the sound of her voice with perfect accuracy. He weighed the scales of the world or the childhood friend that gave her life for his ideals. It was clear as day which weight was heavier. "Absolutely."

Once he gave that reply, the conclusion was already foregone.

His answer earned a mixed reception among the directors of the future foundation. Most met him with scoff. Others with gestures of approval. But what mattered to Kyosuke was Tengan's reaction. The old man's expression was a fusion of the others'; both acknowledgement and disappointment mixed together.

"Very well, you have that right."

"What happened with the Classes of Hope's Peak Academy that vacationed on Jabberwock Island 2 years ago?" 

Kuzuryu and Nevermind's eyes darkened at the question. Lingering emotions remained, not directed at Kyosuke, but the reality of the event itself.

"What happened to _Yukizome_ , you mean?" Tengan returned with a question of his own. Though he was absolutely right, Kyosuke didn't dignify it with a response.

"Search for them no longer, Munakata. They perished on that island." The elder answered. It was like  He'd known that was the truth for so long, but to hear it confirmed..."Who is responsible?"

Kyosuke felt as if his heart had been pierced straight through. Nevertheless, he wouldn't let it show. And beyond that anger, was a desire to learn the truth...and to get a name for the one responsible.

"I know what you're thinking, but you're not quite right. The deaths of those children were not my doing. That was the wish of another." Tengan pursed his lips and looked his student in the eye.

"You claim to be un-involved?"

"I choose my words carefully. I did not order anyone's deaths, and any direct involvement on my part was non-existent." The elder's hawk-like eyes narrowed in lament "If I am guilty of anything, it is using that person's goals for my own ends. Back then and now."

"As I thought. Whatever happened on that island is not over yet. What are you scheming?" Kyosuke's suspicions rose to th esurface.

"You presume too much. Whatever occurs on that island is not my will."

"But you can prevent a tragedy, if one were to occur. Yet you choose to do nothing." His voice rose.

"Do you care for those children? I don't believe there is a relation."

"'To overlook the suffering of others merely because you find it convenient to do so...is the mark of weakness.' I believe you taught me those words, Tengan." Munakata took his first steps towards the future foundation leader. In a show of dominance, he climbed onto the long table, marched towards Tengan and ignored the others.

Tengan lifted his head and locked eyes with Kyosuke.

"You call yourselves world leaders? I think you're all far too old to be playing such infantile games. What power can any of you claim to have when you can't even protect a handful of children?"

Kyosuke reached into his vest and pulled out a whip-like construct that transformed into a blade with a flick of the wrist. "I will save those children and see to it that you all face justice."

"Naive." Some scorned

"I thought he'd just be another bore, I like his guts." Others applauded

"However, it appears he stands against us."

"..." Nevermind and Kuzuryu were quiet.

Tengan sighed. It carried with it exasperation but also a hint of remorse "It would seem that way, regretfully. If you remember my teachings, Munakata then surely you must also recall my single most important lesson."

"'Bear the responsibility of your actions.' As if I know any other way to live." He brandished his sword

"Very good. Negotiations have broken down. Takumi, if you will."

"Kyosuke!" Sakakura called out to him. Kyosuke didn't bother to turn around and took both Tengan and his friend's words as a signal to dodge to the left, jumping over the empty seat. He looked to the space where he'd just occupied and saw Tengan's protégé staring down at him, knife in hand.

"You're fast." Hijirihara said.

 "Take this fight elsewhere. I do not care for bloodshed." Tengan ordered, not unlike how a parent would command a child to play with their newfound toy in their own rooms.

Kyosuke clicked his tongue and darted backwards as far as he could, regrouping with Sakakura where he first began.

"Munakata, I will concede one point. I am weak. A powerless old fool who has let far too many slip through his fingers...but no more. This time, I will grasp the future with my own hands. To that end, I will wield that demon's power as my own and allow those children to be sacrificed."

"What do you intend to do?" Kyosuke asked.

"To save all, of course."

For a fraction of a second, Kyosuke swore he witnessed Tengan's pupils turn red. He had no time to verify it...because the next instant, the ground caved where he and Sakakura stood, sending them falling to the floor down below.

The two had managed to land on their feet, but they doubtfully could return to the meeting room from where they stood; an ordinary desolate room. “What now, Kyosuke? We bail or we beat them by force?"

"There's no point running. They have enough influence to make that impossible, even if we count their individual powers. No, they're right where we want them." They should have had more common sense than to band together in one place, where they could be taken down in one fell swoop. And who could stop him?

The answer, Kyosuke supposed, came not a moment later. Hijirihara jumped in after them, ready to resume after their brief scuffle.

"Couldn't you have just said yes?" Hijirihara shook his head. "We aren't exactly the most unified bunch. The lot here are egocentrics, with their own individual goals. If you disagreed with our aims, you should have first gained power and conspired against us from the shadows. You can't be stupid enough to have not seen that far ahead."

"I am well aware."

"Then why?"

"Because I refuse to sink to your level." Kyosuke gripped his sword.

"...Pride then? I'll admit to having never felt the emotion, but so many of us seem to go for it. Interesting, let's see how far it gets you." Hijirihara acknowledged Kyosuke's answer, even if he couldn't understand it. 

The bodyguard plastered a smile on his face as he turned to Sakakura. "Ah, Juzo, you don't need to answer. I _know_ the word foresight doesn't exist in your dictionary."

"Don't worry Kyosuke, I'll take care of this half-pint in a flash." Sakakura cracked his knuckles. "I've always wanted to kick his ass."

"Really? I thought we were friends. We hung out enough."

"That's only because you fell asleep fucking everywhere!"

Kyosuke watched the two engage in a struggle. All the while, he couldn't shake off the memory of that ominous glow from Tengan's eyes...and come to think of it, Hijirihara's were the same.

"Whatever is going on here, I'll surely get to the bottom of it." He pointed his sword at the child who miraculously managed to evade all of Sakakura's trained blows. "And I'll start with you." 

Upon making his declaration, Kyosuke circled the room as fast as he could to the other side of the room. The boy already had his hands full with The Ultimate Boxer alone. His stance was poor and told volumes of how little experience he had. Those factors were about to cost him.

"Huh?" Hijirihara grunted as he noticed Kyosuke snake his way behind him

"You should have picked your opponents better, boy." 

Naturally, Kyosuke had already swung before giving the warning.

  

-Jabberwock Island-

 

 _'Nagito Komaeda'_ That name reverberated in Makoto's mind, even after they'd left the office and trailed their way through the back of the building. Makoto had heard that name before, once he believed. It belonged to one of Chisa's dolls. She had used the name during training, and given the doll a very...enigmatic personality. The writer of the letter seemed like an eccentric themselves, to have written so casually despite the danger they were in. Needless to say, he'd have questions for the teacher once he-

...

What was he thinking? He was never setting foot in that place again! He needed to find Enoshima's agent and get off this island. But, if they were anything like Leon, they couldn't  _just_  be overpowered. He needed an advantage...and maybe he'd find it in that Final Dead Room Komaeda wrote about. With Chihiro in tow, the two finally managed to circle the building and returned to the outskirts of where they came. Makoto's plan was simple. They'd get the others, tell them about Genocider and come back to help Leon and Mondo, if they still needed it. Then Makoto would oust the traitor.

That  _was_  the plan...until Makoto sighted Genocider herself waiting for them.

"Hi, boys. Been a while~" She flirtatiously greeted them. 

"You've got to be kidding me." He gaped, she didn't have a scratch on her.

"W-Where's Mondo and Leon?" Makoto asked fearfully.

"Loved them. Killed them. Same thing." She gave a crooked...forced(?) smile.

"Killed...them?" Makoto curled his hands into fists, his teeth grinding against each other. However, in spite of his anger, he retained a sound mind. "Chihiro, run back into the building."

The programmer turned him for an explanation, a neutral expression on his features.

"I don't believe a word she said. Run and go check on the others. They might still be okay." It was the logical choice. Chihiro could bring help if they were okay. If they weren't, then he'd be away from Genocider while he held her off. Chihiro likely realized it, as he acquiesced without much of a fuss and departed back into the building. It was entirely out of character for the boy to not raise so much as a protest, but that was the very least of Makoto's worries. So long as Chihiro was docile, Makoto could handle him later.

"Who are you?" Genocider asked, arms crossed. Her smile fell as soon as Chihiro left.

"Makoto? We've met before." Makoto tensed. His mind ran through circles of details -The first springing to mind was why Syo bothered to incite a conversation. They had met a few times before (which was already far more than he'd like) but just once was enough to know that this girl didn't care for the basics of communication. Discussions were a two-way street, yet Syo would barely listen to anything that didn't interest her...and the only thing she had on the mind was murder or Togami. One of those was currently disposed of and the other didn't include discourse. For Syo, the end result was decided the moment she laid eyes on her victims.

Her forehead creased, "I _know_ Big Mac, but you ain't him. Mac ain't this ballsy...and he definitely wouldn't make a face like the one you're giving me." 

"Sorry if I can't be the nicest guy in the world when you're threatening to kill me. Weren't we supposed to be friends?"

"...Really? Cause how I see it, you were friends with _Toko_." Genocider gnashed her teeth, spitting out Toko's name like a curse.

Makoto took a step back at the outrage, fearing Syo would attack him that very moment...instead she stood still, actually waiting for his answer. It appeared her curiosity was genuine.

More importantly...She called Toko by her first name. Syo doesn't _do_ that. She's invented tons of derogatory names for the author but not once did he recall her calling her other self by name, much less with that much hatred. And there was the added confusion of how quick she was to anger - He thought her smile earlier seemed a bit crooked - and looking at the killer now, she was besides herself, muttering curses under her breath.

'She...is a bit too unhappy for someone who supposed finished with her favorite hobby.' Makoto ruminated. There was definitely something wrong with her, for such a change to have triggered in the minutes since they last met.

'...Hold on...that timeframe is too small.'

Another plan began formulating in Makoto's head. If he played his cards right, Genocider's uncertainty could be taken advantage of...or he could die. But at this rate, he'll die anyway. "But you share emotions, right? We're Toko friends, you shouldn't have a reason to kill any of us."

Genocider paused, the serial killer was just as aware of the dynamic she had with Toko as he was, and now he'd presented her with a contradiction. "You say that but I've got this unbearable urge to gut you, Mahkutie. Usually, it's the act of killing hotties that turns me on, but right now I just want to off you. It's like sex without the sex and skipping straight to orgasm! What the fuck is the point!?"

The needless use of innuendos aside, Genocider had just given some compelling information. One that made him doubt the serial killer's claims.

"Are you really Syo?" 

Her mouth formed a straight line. "Well yeah, scissors, murder and everything. Is this spite for earlier?"

"You don't sound too sure of yourself. And I'm thinking that if anyone's acting strange here, it's you. By that, I mean...why are you here? “He brought a finger to his chin.

Genocider clenched her jaw. "I'm wherever I want to be. What's it to you?"

"...I thought you killed Leon and Mondo. In that case, how did you get here so quickly?" Makoto took note of her body language

"Mad skillz." A blatant lie.

"Not my point. Let me clarify: How did you get here so fast after tying their bodies up and painting the scene?" There was no way she could have killed those two, crucified their bodies _and_ returned here before they did.

Genocider stared at him with wide eyes as she let out an audible gasp. Was she herself not aware of it?

"Did you forget?" He continued. It was like watching a computer program that had stumbled onto an irreconcilable error and crashed. Makoto knew he'd hit the mark upon seeing her reaction.

"Adding onto that. You just said you wanted to kill me as quickly as possible, which isn't really how you operate." After all, Genocider herself remarked how strange it was that she wanted to skip right to the climax. "Are you really Genocider Syo?"

"....Shut up." She glared.

If Makoto was a betting man, he'd say the fiend was a lot more confused than she let on. And the reason was because that she's not Syo. Rather, she was probably just as much Toko as she was Syo. Otherwise, she wouldn't be deliberately going against the very qualities that defined her as Japan's infamous man hunter. In a sense, Makoto was talking to a new, more complete personality and she had no idea how to deal with it.

And he could use that to his advantage.

It was similar to how Makoto felt earlier with Leon. She's angry but she doesn't know how to channel anger. Her obsession with killing has just multiplied several-fold without reason as far as she was concerned. So what would happen if Makoto gave her that reason?

Makoto prepared himself as Genocider jumped him. There wasn't any point trying to run or dodge. The Ultimate Murderous Fiend was his physical better in every way. If he ran, he'd just get scissors in the back. Instead he chose to take it head-on. Syo pinned him to the ground and raised her scissors above his head. Just as she swung down, Makoto placed his palm in the weapon's path.

Blood spurted out as steel pierced his hand all the way to the other side. 

Genocider froze at the desperate act. Consequently, Syo was unprepared for Makoto to grip at her snake like tongue with his free arm, then use it as leverage to bring her head down to a level where he could speak into her ear.

"............"

"W-What!?" Genocider yelled, surprised. That was the second opening, one even wider than the first. Makoto seized the opportunity and planted his foot on Genocider's stomach, sending her reeling away a small distance. He quickly scurried to his feet and ran backwards to increase the space separating them.

He didn't think for a second she was harmed in anyway. But the same couldn't be said about himself. The scissors speared into his hand caused enough pain to nearly bring him to tears.

Once Genocider got back to her feet, she broke out into (fake) laughter "You're pulling some crazy shit, Mac#2." 

 "Mac 2?"

"Yeah, just like I thought. You're different. Mac would never pull a stunt like that; he'd either freeze and die or even luck out somehow. What you just did was none of that." She clutched her stomach, not out of pain but of derision. Makoto wondered if she was laughing at him or herself. "Who are you? Are you like me? Because that's the feeling I get when I look at you."

Makoto twitched. "I don't think you have any right to talk. Besides. Don't you think we have bigger things to worry about? Like catching who killed Togami?" He had also told her who killed him, but whether or not she'd believe that was up in the air.

"I heard the loving whisper in my ear, sweetie but I ain't buying it. Master wouldn't keel over that easily...He's invincible, you see." 

"You're lying." She didn't sound nearly as confident as she thought.

"Huh?" 

"Because I know Toko's still there and she knows I'm telling the truth." It was a gamble based on theory. The fact that Genocider's been acting so differently proves this transformation is different from the others.  Toko didn't sneeze into becoming Genocider, she transformed herself, so it was possible that the real Toko was buried under there. If he could just keep prodding at her directly then maybe he could reach the author. Makoto kept one thing in mind. Those who fell to despair or the "fallen", weren't necessarily on Enoshima's side.

**_"At least, that's how things start but you know...despair is contagious and spreads like wildfire. It'll be up to you to try to recover the infected if you can...or just kill them off, your choice.  And besides, the infected won't necessarily be on my side. After all, you did see Mondo and Sayaka turn on Leon, didn't you?" (Junko Enoshima, Chapter 8)_ **

The fallen could also be recovered. Sayaka became one, but she could still be reasoned with. If Makoto could get Genocider on his side then their chances of survival would increase dramatically. But, that was looking like a far off dream.

"You're annoying. I  _was_ thinking about changing my mind and playing with you a bit, but I'm not feeling it anymore. Just die." Syo declared.

"You keep proving my point. You're not acting on your base instincts because you're not _really_ Syo. Hurry up and snap out of it, Toko!"

Makoto could _see_ the veins jerk in her neck as Syo's eyes glowed an even brighter red "Die." Syo raised one arm in the air. To Makoto, it clearly seemed like she was about to a perform a swiping motion...but that was strange. She wasn't all that close.

_'What is she going to do from over there?'_

He never got the chance to find out

-Several minutes prior (Multiple PoVs)-

 

_"Bro. Starting to think this was a bad idea." Leon said_

_"Shut it, will ya?" Mondo breathed heavily. Ordinarily, they wouldn't have been given that small reprieve, injured as they were. Thankfully, their very own hunter was trapped in her own world, biting her fingers and staring off into the distance. Whatever she was thinking, Mondo knew he'd never be able to understand._

_"I don't know what's bugging her, but I think we should run while we've got the chance!" The baseball star looked to his bat. The iron had received several lacerations and looked like it could fall apart at any moment. Leon could only be thankful that she had only scraped him with those scissors._

_"Really think she'll just let us go?" Mondo replied, aggressively. The agitation wasn't towards Leon, but the do-or-die situation he was faced with. And from the looks of things, dying might just be his fate._

_"Can the both of you shut the hell up!? I'm using my brain over here!" Genocider roared. The novelty had worn off; the bliss of being set free after all this time was a temporary illusion. For the fiend had come to recognize various emotions that were...out of place. Normally, when Miss. Fuck-proper-hygiene took a backseat, Genocider was mostly free to do whatever she wanted. Sure, some lingering emotions from the bookworm might affect Genocider's perspective, **but only if she let it**. Take for example, Master Byakuya was like prime rib, but Genocider had no intention of sinking her teeth into him! The reason was because stinky fell hard for him, so Syo acknowledged it. That didn't mean she would go easy on everyone else just because her other half had affections for em. In fact, if she really, really wanted it, not even Master would be an exception to Syo's expression of love. That would never happen though and even if she tried, Master was invincible. He'd figure something out...without fail._

_A searing pain struck the killer's heart at that moment._

_However...however. What the fuck was going on here!?_

_With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Genocider dashed towards them without a thought in her mind. Or to be more precise, she acted because she wanted to stop thinking._

_"Woah!" "Get out the way!" The boys dodged in opposite directions. Genocider chose to run after Mondo, not because he was a threat - Neither were - but because he was closer and slower. Right then, Syo conducted an orchestra; her scissors were the instruments, Mondo was the audience and the cuts she left on his makeshift weapon and body was the sweetest melody...or should have been._

_"GRAAAAH!" Leon yelled, having returned to the fold and slammed Genocider's side, sending the girl to the ground with a thud._

_"You okay? “Leon asked Mondo._

_"Uh, yeah, mostly. This thing's done for though." Mondo referred to the pipe._

_"What do you mean mostly? She just shredded you!" Leon said, eyes shifting back and forth between Mondo and the serial killer who had gotten back to her feet but otherwise stood still. This hadn't been the first time. It was the 4th exchange of this nature, where the psychotic bitch just froze out of nowhere after going on a rampage. It was probably the only reason they were still alive. Leon had half a mind to attack...if not for how the girl would potentially react. She was just unpredictable. Leon was far from a fighter, but even he could see that Genocider's moves were all over the place; sometimes she'd accelerate, then slow down, then pull back._

_"Yeah...but the cuts ain't deep. It was like she was stopping right before hitting me." Mondo muttered, directing a wavering glare towards Genocider. He had lacerations on his arms and torso, but they were minor cuts at best. Way too superficial for the wacko that was ripping apart iron like paper. "Didn't she say she wanted to kill us all? Ain't doing a very good job if you ask me."_

_" **Please** don't encourage her." Leon shivered. "Can we run now?"_

_"It's been 3 minutes man. We don't know if the others have gotten out."_

_'There it was again!' - Syo thought. That irrepressible urge to kill Mondo on the spot surfaced again. That's not how this works! She wasn't some savage...and she certainly wasn't an amateur. To Genocider, killing was an expression, an art form. It wasn't something to be rushed without care for order and presentation. Syo wouldn't leave those calling cards after every kill if she thought otherwise. She loved her victims' screams, she loved the way their pretty boy faces contorted with pain, only to go numb as they neared death. But most of all, what sent the demented girl into an orgasmic high was the sensation of touch; the pleasurable feeling of live flesh shredded, carved out and indented by her scissors. Nothing beat that level of intimacy and that's why she strove to enjoy it as long as possible.  If the couldn't lose herself at feeling the weight of their lives on her fingertips, then there was no point.  And speeding to the conclusion wasn't Syo's modus operandi...meaning...something else was causing her to act this way? Or someone?_

_There could only ever be one. '...That little.'_

_Genocider Syo could not interfere with the life of Toko Fukawa and Toko Fukawa could not interfere with Genocider Syo. That was the rule, the balance of power that defined them as separate identities. Yet...Syo's composure and bloodlust desire to kill was surpassed by Miss Morose. It was a contradiction of the most asinine variety. She, Genocider Syo, the most fearsome killer in the nation, a split-personality that was defined by the release of her original's inhibitions to murder was being overwhelmed by that same woman's desire to kill!_

_Syo's eyes gradually widened at the slow but sure realization. That earlier euphoria Syo felt...it wasn't because she was free to kill...it was a reaction to Toko's murderous impulse. Toko had broken the boundaries...and was overwhelming her and that meant...that meant..._

_It was like putting together pieces of an absurd puzzle, and right before Syo reached the last step to solving it...she was blinded by red._

_"I won't believe it!" Syo suddenly let out a feral scream._

_"I...think she's lost it." "She never fucking had it!" Leon and Mondo tensed, preparing for Genocider's next charge. It was pointless, they could never have been ready for Syo...because they couldn't even see her move. Syo shot at them like a canon, without halt. At one moment the two stared at Genocider's initial position. The next they felt a gust of wind pass through the gap between them and a loud crash behind._

_Mondo slowly creaked his neck backwards, where he saw Syo emerging from the pile of machinery she'd slammed into, her expression a complete blank._

_Leon was equally stupefied. "Did you..." He shook his head, not bothering to ask. "This isn't real...this isn't some fighting game. Nope, not dealing with this. I'm going to wake up right fucking now!"_

_"Why the fuck would I be in your nightmares!? Snap out of it or you're dead, dumbass!" Mondo was quicker to recover, wasting no time scurrying off._

_"Huh? Where are you going?" Leon yelled, fearing he was being abandoned._

_"Don't stay in one place, unless you think you can follow that chick!" Mondo yelled and Leon took the hint. No sooner than Mondo finished that sentence, he ran aimlessly to the side, hoping he'd be in one piece when...whatever the fuck was going to happen, happened!_

_Intoxicated by her own insanity, Genocider temporarily lost the ability to form speech. She slurred and moved yet again, even faster than before. She was able to stop herself before crashing this time, though she still stopped several meters farther than intended. Syo aimed for the area where Leon stood prior, only to miss completely thanks to the boy's preemptive dodge._

_From Leon's perspective, a blink of an eye had Syo teleport locations. He heaved a sigh of relief, grateful for his persistent luck. Until he heard the sound of his jacket tearing._

_"W...ha?" Leon was faced with another abnormality. His right shoulder had been cut clean open. The wound was insignificant. What was significant was that he was hit at all. "Did she hit me?"_

_"Shit!" He heard Mondo cry out on the other side of the room. The biker was clutching his left knee, and he saw blood._

_'What the hell? Forget dodging. She couldn't have hit us both! Mondo wasn't even fucking near us'_

_A shiver crawled down the athlete's spine, prompting him to keep running. His eyes never left Genocider, who moved again, this time landing nowhere near the two...and yet._

_"Gah!" Both boys cried out as their flesh was torn, each cut as small as the last._

_Mondo and Leon's eyes met as they reached the same conclusion. It was an impossible conclusion that defied logic and common sense, yet it stood right before their eyes. Without even factoring that absurd speed...Genocider could hit them, without touching them..._

_As if to confirm the hypothesis, the murderous fiend did not move. Instead choosing to strike the air with her scissors twice in random directions. Not a second later, Mondo received a slice to his wrists and Leon to his cheek._

_Their hearts had been gripped by fear, resignation and awe. What they witnessed was not even a fantastical skill like cutting with air pressure. She hadn't even swung in their directions. She somehow...hit them both._

_They stood in silence, forgetting to even dodge,,,and Genocider took that chance. She turned towards Leon and slashed more times than the man could count. None of them landed of course...there was 7 meters of distance separating the two. Much like that sane, logical premise, Leon's body was cut to ribbons. Shears and scraped appeared all over his body, each no longer or deeper than a paper cut, but too many for that point to hold relevance. He fell gracelessly._

_"Damn it!" Mondo yelled. Like Genocider, he didn't miss his chance. While she attacked Leon, he charged at her, pulling his fist back and launching it to hit her with everything he had._

_A fatal error had caused the end result. Mondo Owada may have been defined as a thug, but he was also an old-fashioned man, with old-fashioned principles. Daiya had taught him many things and failed to teach him by an equal amount. Mondo was antagonistic child since birth; despite Daiya's attempts, Mondo had never learned to curb his fits of anger, they were instinctual urges that far exceeded his ability to suppress- However there was one exception. One instance where his rage could be subdued at all times, and it related to the number one of Daiya's principles: Under no circumstances was he permitted to directly harm a woman, no matter who they were. It would require an otherworldly power that perverted his very core to override this one oath. That law sealed his fate. Mondo's fists came to a crashing halt right before impact, to the surprise of both he and Genocider. However, the trained killer would never miss that opening. For reasons Mondo couldn't comprehend, the girl jumped back, then swung in an arc for which there was no resistance or contact. She'd struck air._

_Mondo's neck slit open. Not nearly enough to cause a fatal injury, but it was enough to stagger the biker. Then, Genocider reenacted the same play she'd performed for Leon, but even faster and with more strikes. Mondo fell back into a forming pool of his own blood as lacerations scaled up his body._

_Genocider stood impassively, looking between her fallen victims. Neither of them moved, so she considered her job done. Like fog clearing, Genocider felt what little remained of her sanity returning. Her mood however, was shot without hope of recovery._

_"What a failure..." She said lowly. "I'll try again with Chihiro. I'll get it right the next time." Genocider left the area, looking for the entrance. After many years and many performances, Syo met her first blunder...and she was not pleased._

 

 

_She forgot to hang the bodies._

 

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

He never got a chance to find out...the sound of gun fire and the scissors being shot out of Genocider's hand saw to that.

"You!" "Genocider Syo" cried out in pain as she turned to her assailant. Before she could even recover, Sakura Ogami dropped her shoulder on Syo's off-guard state and sent her to the ground. The fighter capitalized on the killer's fallen form and pinned the other girl down.

 Makoto turned towards his saviors, a jubilant smile on his features. Kyoko knelt down with the rifle poised at Syo while the others stood behind her.

"Kyok-" He stopped partway, as he took the odd stares they were giving him into consideration; some were neutral, others were wary. _'Why are they looking at me that way_?’ His bewilderment multiplied several fold when Kyoko dismissed the murderous fiend and turned the barrel of the gun to  _him!_

 _"_ Don't move." Kyoko ordered as she stood and handed the gun to Taka. "If he does, shoot him."

...

The moral compass' eyes grew wide at the command. He awkwardly positioned the weapon in the same direction as Kyoko had - with Makoto in its line of sight.

As for himself...he stood silent, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

"That's going a bit too far for a joke." Nobody laughed...or did much of anything. They just stared.

"I'm not so sure about that." Kyoko replied. He couldn't get a read at what was behind her frozen mask.

"You're the prime suspect for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba, Sayaka Maizono and Hifumi Yamada." Kyoko made another stunning insinuation. That could be taken literally, as Makoto had all but forgotten to breathe, much less convey his stupefaction articulately. Instead the luckster looked towards Ryoko for deeply needed assistance.

"I told them, but Kyoko insists I'm unreliable." Ryoko held out her tied together hands, seemingly not bothered by peculiarity of coming under suspicion "Apparently, I'm a potential accomplice."

It was then that Makoto realized Kyoko was very serious. His friends...really thought he was the killer? Why? He'd done nothing out of the ordinary...

"Hey, Kyoko." Ryoko said, staring off to the side. There was nothing but thin air in that direction, so what was she looking at?

"What?" Lilac answered.

"I understand you're impatient right now...but don't you think it'd be better if we took this...delicate conversation somewhere else? Like back at the hotel?"

"No. We're ending this here." Kyoko rejected the compromise.

"Suit yourself." Ryoko sighed, shaking her head in resignation, as if the detective had just made a fatal mistake.

"Uh...Kyoko? Are you sure Makoto's the killer? He looks pretty freaked out to me." Hiro spoke up. The detective spared him a glance. "That's what we're trying to find out." Then turned back to Makoto. "Well, there you have it. Anything to say in your defense?"

My defense...is that's how she wants to play it. Even if they suspect me, they don't have evidence...and they wouldn't get any.

He was still recovering from shell-shock. Kyoko was supposed to be his partner - the person he could depend on at all times, and now she's against him? He couldn't deny feeling bitter by the betrayal.

Fine...if she wanted a class trial, he'd give her one. 

 

**-[Climax Reasoning: Initiate (Multiple PoV)]-**

 

"There's no proof I'm guilty." Makoto began.

"You were in charge of the pot that poisoned the others. You would've had the easiest access." Kyoko retorted

"That's circumstantial evidence at best.  _Anybody_  could have tampered with the sauce when I wasn't looking."

"True...however, how do you explain this?" She tossed a canister to the ground. 

He looked at it strangely "I don't understand."

"This is the murder weapon." That only confused him further.

"You just accused me of poisoning the food. Wasn't _that_ the instrument?"

"Yes...and so was this." She pointed to the can. " _The murder weapon is both items together_."

Yasuhiro whistled.

"It was a decent trick. The individual poisons lacked the potency to kill. Combine the two and they'd cause near instant fatalities. The killer used that deception to muddle the crime scene. Naturally, that case wasn't possible or necessary for Hifumi, so they used the full poison."

Makoto paused, thinking the possibility over. The memory was still fresh, he remembered Sayaka's abnormal thirst after eating the food...which only got worse when she drank out of the container. Ikusaba... _could_  have eaten before...and the same happened to her.

Kyoko's conclusion made sense, however that didn't implicate-...

"You were the one who gave Sayaka the food...and you were the one who provided her with the drink."

"That's still not enough. It's a coincidence, _anyone_ could have fallen for the same trick."

"Sakura found that can in your hospital room." Kyoko brushed his indignation off. "So what do you think, Makoto? One is a coincidence. The second instance, possibly. But all three times? When do the coincidences end?"

The room he slept in? That made no sense unless..."Someone's...trying to frame me." He'd accidentally stated that conclusion aloud. But once he did, there was no taking it back.

"A frame job? I considered the possibility, but they would have done a very poor job of it. Sakura found that container by accident, and they couldn't have planned _all_ your actions tonight."

"Why would I leave incriminating evidence in the most obvious place?"

Kyoko pressed her gloved-finger against her chin. "Why would anyone frame one of the least likely culprits? By all accounts, your personality and history marks as you as an unlikely candidate for murder. However by your assumption, they went after you...instead of someone as overly suspicious as Celes."

The gambler in question huffed at the supposition. Kyoko ignored it. "And if on the chance that Celes was the killer, Hina would have been a better choice to frame."

He was being backed into a corner. Circumstantial evidence becomes a lot less "circumstantial" when numerous leads point to you. That's how most suspects get convicted - there might not be conclusive evidence that pins them to the crime, but  _enough_ evidence that makes it likely, sufficed. He couldn't defend himself in Sayaka and Ikusaba's cases...but Hifumi was clearly a different story.

"I couldn't have killed Hifumi, I've got an alibi!" He pointed to Asahina. "Hina was watching over me while I was asleep, and right after that, I was with _you_ the whole time!"

"Not the  _whole_  time." Kyoko countered. "There was a brief period after Kiyotaka called a break...however, seeing as you've indirectly conceded to lacking a defense in the previous 2 deaths, I'll humor you here.” She said smoothly. "Let's assume what you're saying is the truth...nobody said you were the only one involved. It's entirely possible you had an accomplice."

"Who would help me!?"

"Over here. Accomplice, _remember_?" Ryoko was being very unhelpful at the moment.

"That makes even less sense. Her _sister_ was one of the victims." He pointed out.

"Ryoko isn't exactly the most stable individual. She's impressionable and attached to you. It's not impossible that she could have aided you in the crime."

"That's not _proof_."

"It's a  _Devil's_  proof." Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"A...what?" Hina asked

" _Probatio diabolica..._ or the diabolical proof, whichever you find suitable,  is an informal argument; an instance where you can shift the burden of proof to the other side. As an example, just as you can demand evidence supporting the devil's existence. One can counter that by demanding you usher evidence that the devil does  _not_  exist. “ Celes explained

"Whoa...so like, if I said aliens were real, nobody could argue with me?" Hiro added in.

"Technically speaking...that would be the case...but the devil's proof is a fool's argument that would be deemed inadmissible in modern times. It belongs to the era of ridiculous witch hunts." Celes elaborated.

"In this context...while there isn't evidence that proves Ryoko was in collusion with you...there's no evidence that disproves it either." Kyoko then pointed to the amnesiac. "However, there is evidence that suggests Ryoko could certainly have carried out the murder."

"You mean when I left the meeting? I could have lured Hifumi outside and killed him there, then made up the excuse of using the shower to hide why I'd gotten wet." Everyone gazed at Ryoko with exasperated stares. Even Syo, who'd given up on squirming from Sakura's iron grip.

"She just incriminated herself." Hina said, in disbelief.

"Be that as it may...yes, that's exactly right. In addition, Ryoko was privy to Ikusaba's notes, so she'd have access to a list of poisons. As would you, Makoto."

He nearly argued that she couldn't prove that either...but he knew she'd counter with another Devil's proof. In truth, Makoto couldn't prove that he didn't ever interact with Ikusaba and procure that information. Which he actually did. If he was caught in the act of lying then it was game over.

That said, the current situation was little better. He'd almost been checkmated.

"I have no motive for the crime." That was his last stop. If he couldn't win here, then...

"It all comes down to that in the end." Kyoko closed her eyes. "But I'm afraid it isn't necessary. The culprit doesn't have a motive to begin with."

“ _People don't kill for no reason_."

"They can...if they're psychotic." Kyoko said.

**_"The answer could be that the killer is out of their minds." (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter 16)_ **

**_"Then why suspect me?" (Makoto Naegi, Chapter 16)_ **

"W-What are you saying?" He stammered.

**_"That you can ask this despite recent behavior is the problem. There's no point explaining it to you and it wouldn't convince Kyoko even if you did understand." (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter 16)_ **

The way they all stared at him, it wasn't hate or even judgement. It was...pity. Like they were staring at a mental patient. "I'm... _not_  crazy. Come on, guys."

"Little guy...that's kind of what a crazy person would say to being called crazy. Everytime." Hiro said, awkwardly.

"Makoto...do you remember what you did the day Munakata and Sakakura left the island?" Kyoko asked, eyes downcast.

"I...don't remember." What was the reason?

"You were caught sleepwalking and talking to Sakakura in a daze."

_**“Beats me, all I know is what Juzo told me - which you were sleepwalking around the island. You could stand to be more careful.” (Koichi Kizakura, Chapter 10)** _

"There was no warning or predictability in your actions. Didn't you find it strange?" She continued

He didn't. Not now when he knew the exact reason...but what was he going to say? Tell them that he was off in another world getting harassed by a witch in combat heels? He'd damn himself on the spot!

"And uh...you were kind of pissed at Leon for no reason. You came to speak with us about it...remember?" Hina said. Why was that coming to bit him in the ass now of all times?

"Don't forget when he jumped Kyoko in front of all of us. That was a little too bold for Naeggs." Hiro said, a thoughtful expression was present on his face...for someone who just said something incredibly thoughtless.

"I'm telling the truth. I'm on _your_ side here." He pleaded

"I believe you." Celes cut in, surprising everyone.

"You do?" His words came out as a soft whine.

"Yes. I'm certain every word you've said is the truth thus far...or should I say, what you  _think_  is true." Celes scrutinized every inch of his form. "Do remember that I am the Queen of Liars. If you had uttered a single falsehood throughout this entire ordeal, I would have ripped your argument apart. For that reason, I find this turn of events regrettable."  

"The matter appears to have been settled. I never would have expected Makoto would be the killer." Taka said, who'd pointed the gun towards the ground. 

"You all...really think I've lost it? That I killed everyone?" They weren't even going to reason why his actions were nonsensical. They'd dismiss it all under the umbrella of insanity. 

_**Could he prove that he wasn't insane?** _

What Kyoko said was true, though (he thought) there was a good reason for that. But...what if that reason was just his delusion? He'd just considered that Enoshima and the theater were a concept that only someone who'd lost their grip on reality would conceive. 

To begin with, how could he prove anything he'd experienced was real? When does the truth begin and when do the lies end?

_'If he couldn't even prove his experiences to himself, how could he hope to convince anyone else?'_

"Well, do you admit it?" Kyoko pressed. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he evaded her piercing eyes.

 "I...I don't know." His mouth moved on it's own.

"Ha? What do you mean you don't know?" The owner of that crass voice grabbed everyone's attention. Slowly coming out of the entrance was...

"Leon!" Makoto cried out, happily. Syo _was_ lying.

 "I leave you alone for 5 minutes and you're already a mess." He said, limping and using Chihiro as a crutch. The athlete had minor cuts all over but none of them appeared fatal. He threw a dirty glance at Genocider, who glowered back.

"Where's Mondo?" Kyoko asked.

"The big guy's in the back...but he's in pretty bad shape thanks to SOMEBODY!" He yelled at the culprit.

"Alright! I'll get Mondo." Ryoko offered, stretching her arm out

"You think I'll just let you go?" Kyoko said with raised brows.

"There anyone else that knows how to treat wounds on the spot?" Ryoko asked, eyes drifting towards Makoto's form. Particular the bandages on his head. "There's at least medical supplies in the building. I can use those."

"...Fine. But take someone else with you." Kyoko consented.

_...She let her go just like that? Wasn't Ryoko just as guilty in her eyes as he was?_

"I'll come along." Hina said.

"Nah, you're better off here. Um...Hiro can come with me. You don't need him." Ryoko replied. "Besides, his mom works at a hospital. "

"I'm down." Hiro nodded, then motioned to untie Ryoko's hands.

"Now, let's go!" Ryoko strode over and stopped by Makoto, whispering into his ear. "A minor misunderstanding like this...isn't nearly enough to push you to your limit."

"Huh?"

The girl giggled, satisfied by his confused expression.

"I can stand on my own. You can show them the way, Chi. If they don't hurry, Mondo really might bite it.” Leon detached himself from the smaller, still despondent, boy. 

Chihiro, Yasuhiro and Ryoko ran back into the entrance. The last of which turned back towards them, with an almost saddened look as she waved.

"You know, I heard some strange shit on my way here...though it might just have been my imagination. But, if it wasn't..." Leon drew his next words out. "Can someone explain the  _hell_  you guys are smoking? Did Hiro break out the stash?"

"Makoto's the suspect." Kyoko said, curtly.

"I repeat. What are you _smoking_ , girl? How could you ever get the idea that Makoto, _of all people_ , would be the killer?"

"That's what the evidence points to." She closed her eyes.

"Fuck the evidence! Goddamn, you might be the smartest chick I've ever met, but you're also stupid as shit sometimes." Leon stabbed a finger at her.

"Care to try that again?" Kyoko's expression hardened.

Leon placed a firm hand on Makoto's shoulder, while still glaring at Kyoko. "Am I wrong? You, Makoto, Ryoko and I spent weeks as a unit. Remember how hard he tried keeping up with us? Or fucking everything we've done together up until now this week? You're telling me, you'll throw all that away just cuz of some random  _evidence_?" The athlete's anger flared as he rebuked the detective. In truth, his words were likely meant for everyone in the vicinity.

"Look at him and tell me _that's_ the face of someone putting _knives_ in our backs." Leon directed their attention to Makoto's grief-stricken features. "If you can then you're either one stone cold bitch or off your rocker."

After a moment, Kyoko spoke again. "So you'll believe in him blindly? Nothing else save catching him in the act will satisfy you?"

"Even then, there'd need to be a trick to it." Leon wouldn't relent, he was iron-clad in his conviction.

The two stared each other down.  Meanwhile, Makoto was filled with a mix of emotions. The crushing sadness of being distrusted by his friends. The embarrassment stemming from his own helplessness, to the point where he was nearly brought to tears. And finally, the happiness that came with Leon standing up for him against the odds. It felt...nice to be thought of so highly. In that case, he owed it to them to have faith in himself.

Makoto reached into his pocket to see if **that** was still there.

"Very well." Kyoko backed off, giving him a half-shrug "But you do understand that we're left without any more suspects. There's nobody other than Makoto who could have committed the crime...unless you want to throw our suspicions on a folk tale."

"Oh? So we're back to blaming our problems on superstitions then?" Celes mocked, overtly displaying her distaste for the turn of events.

"I...wouldn't knock that if I were you, Celes." Leon argued. His face went pale as he slowly inched his head towards the restrained Syo, as if fearing he could be struck down at any time, from anywhere.

Celes didn't fail to pick up on Leon's abject fear, he stared at the detained killer like she could still be a threat while pinned down by Sakura. Naturally, Makoto didn't miss it either.

"Then who do you suppose is guilty, if not Makoto? Although Togami was first on my list with Toko as his accomplice, that's unlikely now. Right, Leon?" Celes giggled darkly. Her singsong voice implied they'd hidden nothing from her.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He replied

"A poor lie."

"That's right!" Aoi exclaimed "Togami's still missing. Shouldn't we be looking? I mean he's a total jerk but being gone this long is bad news."

"...You are a fool." Celes wore a sardonic smile that grew more sadistic by the moment. "Then again...maybe we're the ones being played for fools. After all, you were also in the position to commit the crime. Remind me...who was it that went to fetch the drinks in the first place?"

"You're pinning this on me!? You're the one with the creepy occult fixation!"

"I'm sure that's very relevant, dear." Celes said with a distinct twitch of an eye.

"You two, don't fight!" Taka ordered

"No, that's exactly what we should be doing. Go on, Celes." Kyoko smirked, stunning everyone in the area.

"...What are you up to?" Celes asked, never one to be toyed with.

"Since we've tossed out the most plausible lead, what other recourse do we have? If we won't use logic, then we'll play by emotion. We've all had a very tiresome day...and now, I'm saying we should vent. Call out anyone you think is suspicious and state your case." Kyoko explained.

A brief silence ensued after the insane proposition. That pause was broken when Hina continued her verbal assault "Then it's Celes! She's the one who was obsessed with witches, and we all heard what Hifumi said about the killings on this island years ago. We saw the circles on the wall." She continued her hateful tirade without missing a beat. "Hifumi called Celes out on the connection and she got rid of him! There's nobody shadier than Celes here...or should I say Taeko!"

Leon and Sakura gaped, while Makoto and Kyoko took her words into consideration.

"Are...you finished?" Celes' shoulders shook as she desperately tried to contain her outrage. "Because you're one to talk about shady. It’s already been proving that you're not above poison. And from what Kyoko's told us, the container that was used on Hifumi was found in _Makoto's_ room. My memory may be slipping a bit, but... _weren't you_ also there supposedly watching him?"

Hina clenched her fists. The gambler's insinuations were as clear as day. "I'm not a murderer."

With a blank stare, Celes dissected even the minutest detail of Hina's movements as the swimmer gave her ineffectual defense. The gothic-lolita frowned as she came up with nothing. Hina gave none of her usual tells to indicate she lied. Celes' talent for detecting lies was far from perfect. Lies were harder to pin down when the opponent was calm and composed like Kyoko, and worse for Ikusaba's ilk who arguably only had a single neutral expression. There were cases like Ryoko were they were just too eccentric to begin with. Hina fit neither class, the donut enthusiast couldn't mount a satisfactory lie to save her life. It should have been impossible for Hina to retain any level of calm after killing another; there would be tells everywhere.

However, there was one instance where she definitely lied. "Is that so? Then why did you lie back at the meeting? When Kyoko asked if there was more to that little incident, you denied it. That was a lie."

Hina let out a small squeak.

"I would have to agree. You are hiding something from us, Hina. Given you went out of your way to tell us about drugging someone. Whatever you went out of your way to omit must have been even worse." Kyoko deduced.

"Exactly." Celes smiled. "Now I wonder what could go beyond the _very_ arguable crime of poisoning."

"The killer is Hina?" Taka posed.

"Impossible!" Sakura nearly left her post to mount her friend's defense, but stopped, recognizing the one beneath her was still a threat.

Her assistance was unnecessary, regardless.

"Stop. Hina isn't the killer." Makoto spoke up, wiping his eyes with a white handkerchief. The item served as proof that he wasn't insane, because he'd gotten it from Chisa. That was another thing he'd need to be grateful to the teacher for.

Syo reared her head up at the line. Sakura's relaxed muscles allowed her to do that much, as even the martial artist had been taken by Makoto's sudden declaration.

"Does that mean you know who _is_?" Kyoko hid her face behind gloves as she stared Makoto down. The others waited with abated breath.

Makoto wasn't sure how to feel about Kyoko at the moment, but standing off against her was counterproductive. There were more important matters...and on that note, he was once again reminded of how nauseating Enoshima's malice was. But without understanding that aspect of her character, Makoto wouldn't have reached the answer. What happened with Toko served to reinforce Makoto's beliefs; Enoshima wanted nothing more than to bring out the very worst in people, twisting their own values to the extreme until they represented the exact opposite of what the person in question intended.

Ironically, the evidence Kyoko presented against him only helped Makoto get his story straight. At first Makoto might have believed the uttered contradictions in their speech was an accidental slip of the tongue, but that wasn't the case at all.

He remembered Chisa's teachings. He may have been down here with the rest of them, but he wasn't like them. He couldn't let himself think like the others, or he'd never win. What he knew about Enoshima changed the game completely.

_**"What I wanted to show you was the difference in awareness and perspective between you and the norm. It was appropriate for Hinata to believe Nevermind, just as it was for you to doubt her as quickly as you did. Your circumstances are comprehensibly different" (Chisa Yukizome, Chapter 9)** _

In a way, he still believed Kyoko was amazing. Makoto knew that right from the start, but she'd gone above even the standards he set for her. Even without his knowledge, she'd come to the correct answer...She just regretfully picked the wrong target.

The final piece of the puzzle was the hint Monokuma gave him. Makoto realized it now, and wanted to scream at how stupid he was for not figuring it out earlier. The damn bear wasn't even subtle about it. _Even their color scheme was the same._

_**“But let me tell you about rags to riches story, hoodie. Truth to be told, I was born color-blind and I couldn’t tell the spices from the seasoning, from the salt, from the pepper.”** _

_**“One time I even threw in baking soda in a cake while thinking it was flour. Boy, was that embarrassing.”** _

_**“Rude! Long story short, I asked Lady Junko to get me an extra set of eyes that could actually see for shit. And can you believe it, she said yes. Now I’m a first-class chef!” (Monokuma, Chapter 9)** _

"The culprit is you, isn't it?" Makoto pointed at his target. The one best in position to fulfill Enoshima's demented cravings and transform an act of good will unto utter chaos. The one who'd planned this whole farce from the start...and the killer who didn't know he was the killer "Isn't that right, Taka!"

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

 

"Huh?" Was the only response Kiyotaka could manage as everyone’s eyes landed on him? On the bright side, they were equally as puzzled as he was...save Kyoko who looked the same as ever.

"Um...Makoto. Could you repeat that?" Surely, they must have heard wrong.

"You're the one responsible for all the murders tonight."

"W-What. I would never do such a thing!" Makoto must be confused.

"Kiyotaka Ishimaru...hmm. Now there's an interesting suspect." Celes snickered.

"Taka? The killer? That's crazy. He couldn't swat a fly without apologizing to it for hours!" He'd have to agree with Hina, but the phrasing could use a bit of work.

"I don't see what the problem is." Kyoko cut in. " Makoto's the same way and we still accused him. Now then, Makoto. What's your case? Taka has almost no connection to the crime." Kyoko raised a strong point in his defense. Nothing pinned him to the murders...so why was she smiling like that?

"I'll start right from the beginning. Taka was the one who set this charade up. We've all been to focused on the killing method and forgot who created the opportunity for the poison to be used in the first place. The contest was all Taka's idea." 

_'That's why he's accusing me?'_

"Outrageous! I had nothing but honest intentions; the contest was an idea I came up with to increase our bonds."

"Why did it have to be about cooking?" Makoto asked, his accusatory glare hadn't faltered.

"Because it was _convenient_ , after our supply of food had taken hit...”

"That's right...the scheme began there, didn't it? The contest was convenient because the kitchen burnt down. Then tell me, Taka..." Makoto turned the tables. "Who was responsible for that?"

_**“…Why did you try to kill us?"** _

_**“DON’T BE RIDICULOUS! Even if I may have made a few mistakes in my attempt at making breakfast, that’s no reason to charge me for attempted manslaughter.”** _

_**"“A few mistakes!? We’re lucky the whole restaurant didn’t burn down! " (Makoto Naegi and Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 10)** _

Kiyotaka gulped, having realized his poor word choice. He hadn't done anything wrong, he knew that...but they didn't. "I was trying to make you a meal while you were sick."

Makoto flinched.

"Yeah. You can't just spit on all of Taka's good will, Makoto. Even if it's you, I won't stand for it!" Hina supported him. At least he still had some on his side, thankfully. Now if only they could get Makoto to see reason.

"No...I won't let you guilt me into stopping." Was Makoto's retort. Although Kiyotaka intended nothing of the sort. "You didn't explain why the kitchen burnt down."

"I...didn't have much experience cooking at the time."

"Then why didn't you ask for help?" Makoto narrowed his eyes "This is _you_ we're talking about. I've never met anyone more responsible than you, Taka. Cooking is dangerous. If you had no experience, why didn't you ask someone who _did_?"

"He did." Hina countered. "I and Sakura were going to help him."

"Then why start _without_ you?"

Hina stopped, thinking over his words.

Kiyotaka was just overzealous to begin...right? No, of course that's right. It was one mistake, everybody makes them.

"Taka thought of everything, and had the layout of the island. If he needed toxins, he could find them...considering that Ikusaba was his inspection partner. He'd easily have access to her notes!"

"Fufufufu. This is quite the entertaining sideshow. It might even make for an interesting _novel_...but I believe we're searching for a rogue _assassin_ , not a mastermind." Celes interrupted. "You have yet to present any tangible evidence pinning Kiyotaka to the crime. You on the other hand, have plenty against you. As Kyoko so dearly pointed out."

"You've got that wrong." Makoto said, smoothly. “There is evidence that links Kiyotaka to the murder... _Hifumi's_ murder, to be exact."

"...Come again?" The gambler's passive mask faltered.

"...When do you think Hifumi was killed?" Makoto asked.

"During the meeting, of course. That would have been the best time for it." Celes rolled her eyes.

"Again...you've got that wrong. Hifumi wasn't killed during the meeting, it was-"

"Before, right?" Kyoko finished in his stead, still wearing a knowing smile. It was the triumphant grin of a detective who'd found her culprit at last...and it was directed towards Kiyotaka.

"Y-Yeah." Makoto stuttered, half-surprised and the other wary that he was falling into a trap. Not that Kiyotaka could blame him on this front. Kyoko was all over the place. "How'd you know?"

"I have my reasons...but first, I think we should point out the particularly incriminating evidence." 'We' she said...then she was on his side? After nearly condemning him moments before?

Makoto nodded begrudgingly "Al...right. The proof is the state of Taka's clothes when the meeting started."

"What was wrong?" Hina asked.

"They were soaked, that's what." Kyoko frowned. "I could see traces of wet patches on his clothing. That meant he'd wandered outside some time ago."

"Oh that!" Kiyotaka chuckled awkwardly. "I already explained it at the meeting. I saw a strange woman outside and opened the window to check." Come to think of it, he never did pursue that trail.

"Yeah, I remembered that too. See, there's the explanation." Hina said.

"...Prove it." Makoto pointed. "How do we know you're telling us the truth?”

"Yeah. Uh. I was near the door but I didn’t see anyone come out." Leon, who'd been quiet the longest, spoke. The athlete was having trouble just standing. "Don't think Taka could have managed that."

"Were you there the whole time? And when did you see Hifumi last?" Kyoko interrogated.

"Not really. I think it was about half an hour. And I saw Hifumi say he went to use the washroom before that."

"Then that's plenty of time for Taka to have lured Hifumi out."

"You're wrong!" Kiyotaka fought back.

"Lured? You think Hifumi's so stupid that he'd have gone with Kiyotaka outside? Alone?" Celes argued incredulously. Nobody could be sure if she spiteful, defending Kiyotaka...or Hifumi.

"Yeah, only Leon's dumb enough to run off and meet someone solo in a secluded place where anyone could be a killer." Hina said. Admittedly, she was right. Something like that probably would happen.

"I resent that. You're on, Hina." The baseball star feebly stood against the swimmer.

Kyoko sighed. "This is about expected. Let's tear their argument apart, Makoto."

"Huh? Oh...yeah." The small boy aquiesced "Taka could have lured Hifumi out and we'll prove it with this!"

 

**-Scrum Debate (Makoto Naegi)-**

 

Left side (The meeting couldn't have taken place): Kiyotaka Ishimaru / Celestia Ludenberg / Aoi Asahina

Right Side (Kiyotaka lured Hifumi outside): Makoto Naegi/ Kyoko Kirigiri / Leon Kuwata

 

**Debate Start!**

 

 **Aoi:** Hifumi would never have gone to meet someone alone. It's totally suspicious!

'Leon!'

 **Leon:** Why the heck not? Kiz confirmed that Taka's got a **spotless record** ; anyone would have trusted him.

 **Celestia:** Even supposing that were true, there was no time to pull the crime off before the meeting.

'Kyoko!'

 **Kyoko:** Really? I seem to recall Taka himself saying he supposedly saw this woman more than a full hour prior. He has no alibi for that **timeframe**.

 **Kiyotaka:** I'm innocent! The culprit could have been anyone!

'I've got this!'

 **Makoto:** It couldn't have been. Nobody else was **wet**.

 **Aoi** : Ryoko was! She had all the time in the world and Hifumi would totally go for her!

'Leon!'

 **Leon** : Babe, what you're saying would apply to any straight man for sure...but Hifumi's only into **2D**. He was even doubting Celes, you said it yourself.

 **Celestia** : Don't you think eyewitnesses are a problem? Even if he left with Hifumi, how would he guarantee getting back in without being caught? Leon could have found him by the door and ruined his entire scheme.

'I've got this!'

 **Makoto** : There were **windows** he could use to sneak back in. He'd just need to open one.

Kiyotaka: Why? Why are you all so insistent that I'm the killer!?

[FULL COUNTER]

'This is our answer!'

_**Makoto/Kyoko/Leon: Because you've been contradicting yourself this whole time!** _

 

**BREAK!**

 

-Kyoko Kirigiri-

 

Kyoko and Makoto turned to Leon, who'd answered with them. "You...caught on?" She asked

"Nah, I was just going with the flow." He shot a cheesy grin at them. An expression that came out somewhat pained, no thanks to his injuries.

_'What an idiot, but his timing was excellent.'_

"Explain." Celes said.

"Taka has contradicted himself several times on this night alone, and one that directly points to him being at the crime scene." Kyoko elaborated.

"W-What?" The moral compass was starting to turn pale, exhaustion brimming on his features. Kyoko couldn't tell if that was a sign that he was cracking under pressure of his guilt...or that he mind's what was breaking down. She wasn't sure which was worse.

"I had Ryoko tell me about every conversation she'd come across in my absence, and I came across one very interesting line."

_**"I...want to keep trusting in everyone...but the circumstances aren't forgiving enough for that. The girls died right in front of us, and even Hifumi was killed easily, and we were just steps away." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 16)** _

"Notice anything?" Kyoko said, repeating what Ryoko had told her.

"How would Taka have known Hifumi put up no resistance?" Makoto answered.

"He could have checked, duh!" Hina retorted.

"I wasn't aware Taka was skilled at investigation. Because to know Hifumi died easily would have required a thorough search of his body to ascertain there were no wounds. I imagined that would be difficult with eyesight alone, considering Hifumi was already covered in blood, mind you." Kyoko countered.

"And I'll just say right now that Taka somehow clueing into Hifumi's state isn't the worst of that statement." Makoto chimed in "What really makes no sense is the context of what he told Chihiro."

"Huh...wait. He said he couldn't keep trusting everyone. Ain't Taka the one that's been telling us to keep the faith? The fuck is up with that, man?" Leon clued in.

Celes' eyes narrowed to slits. Kyoko expected that information would be most relevant to the queen of liars...because it meant her pride in her talent was compromised.

"I don't remember saying that." Kiyotaka crossed his arms. Was he going to deny it at this stage?

"Bro. Me, Makoto, Chihiro, and Ryoko were right there!"

"And you're all in Makoto's camp. How do we know you're not falsifying testimonies?" Celes argued, though she didn't sounded nearly as invested as before. Right now, she sounded like she wanted nothing more than confirmation.

"We don't need to. Because you've heard it for yourself, Celes. Taka said the same thing to us." Kyoko said.

_**"Um...well...No! I still don't believe it. We'd have to discard everything we do know about them." (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 16)** _

"His own words. Now what did he say when we nearly threw the book at Makoto?"

**_'"The matter appears to have been settled. I never would have expected Makoto would be the killer."_ **

"Some fucking belief you've got. Why'd I have to be the one putting my foot down and having faith in my best friend again?" Leon glared daggers at the red-eyed prefect.

Celes took their replies in stride. "Kyoko...from the sounds of it...you were leading Kiyotaka into a trap."

"Yes. Because Taka has been my prime suspect from the very start." The detective declared, pointing at the killer.

"Then why were you attacking Makoto?" Leon said, shocked. "Fuck, you _are_ crazy!"

"I was _trying_ to get Taka to slip up, and if you'd appeared a second early, I might have lost that window of opportunity." Kyoko flicked a strand of hair. "Incidentally, the container Sakura found in Makoto's room could have been planted by _anyone_. Taka searched the rooms, so he had all the time in the world."

"Kyoko?" Makoto asked, skittishly. "You...didn't doubt me?"

She sighed. "No. I can't say that either. Before Ryoko's testimony, I was certain you were the culprit. Afterwards...it was about 60/40 split, working in your favor."

"Where'd the extra set of faith come from...if I may ask?" Kyoko frowned at his reservation towards her. She...really hurt him, didn't she?

 A malicious smile crept it's way onto her features. "You, Leon, Ryoko and I spent weeks as a unit. Remember how hard you tried keeping up with us? Or fuc-?" The blatant display of mockery was cut off by Leon.

"Okay. Okay! No need to rub it in." Leon closed his ears, a red tint on his cheek.

"You're wrong!" A voice suddenly cut in. Kiyotaka stood angrily. "I can't be the culprit. I would never put any of you in that kind of danger! Believe me!"

The prefect was on the verge of tears...and it seemed genuine. Honestly, this was all too strange. Kiyotaka had none of the prerequisites of a murderer and the motive is non-existent. She may not have been able to read him, but Kyoko could tell there wasn't an ounce of falsehood in his words.

Yet he was, without a doubt, a killer. What was going on?

"Liar."

Everyone turned to the new intruder into the conversation. The last person to weigh her word in on the discussion.

"What are you referring to, Syo?"

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

 

Liar? He'd been telling nothing but the truth. Why was everyone turning against him? Sure, the evidence strangely incriminated him, but they worked as well against Makoto. Not that he believed the lucky student could be capable of such a thing.

"I get it. So you used me...son of a bitch." Genocider struggled under Sakura's grip. The ogre looked to them for instructions.

"Don't let that nutjob go." Was Leon's frightened opinion.

"Keep her restrained...but let her talk." Kyoko said.

Sakura nodded. Gripping Syo's arm and pulling her up. The serial killer was otherwise disarmed. However, the hateful glare she aimed his way seemed a plenty a weapon in his opinion.

"Would never put anyone in harm's way? What a load of crap. Weren't you the one who told me those four were up to something and that I should tail them?" Kiyotaka hadn't had many meetings with Syo, but he didn't recall her being so...subdued.

"That was _your_ fault!?" Leon raged at him. Makoto had to hold the athlete by the waist to keep him in place. An attempt he'd never have succeeded at if Leon wasn't already injured.

"I believe you said you hadn't _seen_ Toko." Celes addressed him.

_**"No...Toko went after the guys...You didn't notice, Taka?" (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter 16)** _

_**"Of course not! I would have stopped her. Why didn't you!?" (Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Chapter 16)** _

_**"You weren't going out of your way, I thought that was fine."  (Ryoko Otonashi, Chapter 16)** _

"In hindsight, Ryoko seemed very sure that you had crossed eyes with her." Celes continued.

"I didn't. I haven't spoken with her at all."

Whatever trust Celes had in Kiyotaka vanished that instant. Meanwhile, Sakura mimicked Makoto's actions and further restrained Syo from lashing out at being indirectly called a liar.

"Wait. I thought Syo didn't keep Toko's memories." Hina cocked her head.

"That's...not really Syo." Makoto said. "I'll explain later, but right now, there are more important things..."

"Like picking out Taka's lie." Sakura growled.

"More or less. I saw you speaking with Toko while we were all in the main lobby." Makoto said.

"Yes...we all did." Celes agreed, tilting her head to the side. "Right this moment...you lied, rather blatantly might I add...and _you did so without any tells_ **.** How intriguing."

"When was it that you became such a good liar, Taka?" Kyoko said sarcastically. Makoto on the other hand, had a pained expression on his face.

They were going to brand him a liar and a traitor.

Again. Another Ishimaru made a fraud...

 **(So you'll give up?) -** Someone called out to him. The voice sounded familiar, like he'd heard it all his life.

Kiyotaka creased his brow as the ridicule from his misguided classmates slowed and came to a halt. The world around him turned a dull gray, as if everything else had been frozen in time. 

Kiyotaka turned his head to the side. Standing next to him was a mirror-like image of himself, only with pure white hair and an eyes with a strange, ghostly aura.

'...Pardon me?' He asked, perplexed.

**(Why should we have to admit defeat? We're not criminals. We're not liars. And most of all, _We are not our grandfather.)_**

The doppelganger's voice was commanding and his words, reassuring. It went without saying. He was entirely unlike Toranosuke Ishimaru. Kiyotaka had never given into temptation and sullied himself with illegalities. 

**(Exactly. There is nobody else that has walked the thorny path of righteousness more than we have. Even HPA recognizes our talent!)**

'You're right. I'm...The Ultimate Moral Compass'

**(And what does that title stand for?)**

'It represents my steadfast beliefs...to act as a model and a guide of morality.'

**(That's not all!)**

Kiyotaka flinched from the loud yell.

**(We're not merely a _guide_ , we are meant to _lead_! Everyone else is meant to follow; lest they find themselves astray. We don't want that, do we?)**

'No...' He felt emboldened.

**(Then act. Do what Toranosuke couldn't. Prove our innocence. If you are truly the arbitrator of good... _then anything you do will become justice!_ ) **

'...Anything.' Like the ocean waves, the sentiment rippled throughout the expanse of Kiyotaka's mind.

  **(Anything and everything.)**

That begged the question. 'Then...why don't my friends believe that?'

_**(Isn't it because of him?)** _

Kiyotaka let out yet another confused gesture.

The reason was because the voice in his thoughts underwent a drastic evolution. It no longer bore that deep and assertive connotation, nor was it in any way familiar. Instead, it was replaced by a honeyed, sultry tone. One belonging to a woman, yet far more hypnotizing than any man's.

His double had vanished and its place was an unidentifiable figure. Kiyotaka couldn't make out the hazy form, like a thick veil blanketed his eyes. Still, he abnormally, could not bring himself to doubt. She was his ally, nothing else was relevant in the face of that truth.

'Makoto?' Was the one the shade alluded to.

_**(That beguilingly hopeful face of his, even in the midst of your despair...doesn't it infuriate you?)** _

'Huh...no. I would never think that of my friends.' Makoto might be wrong, but that wasn't his fault. Not necessarily, anyway.

_**(Then what of the men who betrayed your grandfather? Were they his friends?)** _

Kiyotaka gasped.

_**(He's the one accusing you, the one who's been manipulating your friends. Take a very good look)** _

Kiyotaka heeded the amused shadow and what he found was Makoto; his face contorted into a mocking, triumphant smile and his dull green eyes turned red. '...Why is he smiling like that?'

_**(It's not his fault. A dreadful woman made him a pawn in her scheme, and now Makoto's is just as much a victim as anyone else...and he intends to everyone else just like him. Assuming he allows them to live, naturally.)** _

'Makoto's been brainwashed? That would explain everything!'

_**(That's why you have to fight. Expose his schemes. That is the only way for you to save your friends.)** _

 ...

_'I know what I must do. I have to fight!'_

Kiyotaka steeled his resolve, his vision blind to the enchantress' cruel smile.

And so the world moved again

...

"You've proved nothing!" He screamed. 

"I...don't think there's anything left to discuss." Asahina backed away.

"No. I suppose there is one point of contention we haven't cleared up. How he committed the crime." Kyoko said.

"Exactly, even _if_ you think I killed Hifumi, there's no explanation for everything else!" He began his counterattack. He needed to regain the trust of his comrades, or else we're all going to pay the price.

"I don't see how that matters. If all other possibilities are erased, the one that remains, must be certainty. Nobody else reeks of guilt as much as you..." Celes judged.

"You couldn't be further from the truth. Makoto's the only culprit here!"

"Me?" The accused cowered.

"Interesting. You sound sure of yourself, therefore I expect you can prove it beyond a doubt." Kyoko said.

"Yes. I'll expose the truth right here!"

 "Makoto Naegi is the culprit, and his accomplice was Ryoko Otonashi. The drawings on the wall could have been painted before the contest. Makoto had the formula and knowledge of the poison. He carefully contaminated the pot with less dosage than what was required to instantly kill the victim. To ensure their demise, he had Ryoko manipulate her sister into getting the drinks along with Hina. Then Ikusaba made sure to douse the drinks with poison. However, she was double-crossed and ended up falling victim herself to their schemes. I would have died as well had I not been saved by Leon's ball. Afterwards, he and Ryoko acted in concert. While he drew attention, she snuck out to poison Hifumi and Togami, disgusting her damp appearance with an excuse. All the while, Makoto planned on using his sociable personality to manipulate and turn us against each other. That is the truth of this case!"

He breathed heavily. "Well?"

Makoto, Leon, Kyoko, Celes, Hina, Sakura and even Syo gave him the strangest looks yet this night.

"Indeed. It would appear you truly have exposed the truth." Celes twirled her drill tails. "If I had the slightest bit of doubt that you were the murderer...they were gone the second you opened your mouth."

"...Woman, did you listen to a word I said?" That wasn't the reaction he expected.

"Talk about shooting yourself in the foot." Leon muttered.

"You've overextended yourself, Kiyotaka. Specifically, you said too much. Some of that is information only the killer would know. Such as...how you were aware and so confident that Togami had died? Much less that he died through poisoning?" Kyoko voiced their suspicions.

"Not even getting into the Ikusaba part. How did you even come up with that?" Hina asked, not sure what to think.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

He was getting tired of all of this. "I'll prove it."

Kiyotaka made a confused grunt.

"I'll prove you could have pulled off the murders...using that same logic."

"You mean to say I have an accomplice? Who?" Kiyotaka snarled.

"Who else? It's someone nobody's mentioned yet." He was well aware the words that came forth were lies, but it was a lie only he could use. This person could not have been an accomplice, because Enoshima said there was only one agent. However, he was convenient right now.

 

**-Perjury!-**

 

"Your accomplice was Koichi Kizakura." Makoto began. "The both of you were colluding from the beginning. While Kizakura disappeared, he was able to run all over the island unchecked, he could have killed anyone at any time. The secrets that told our pasts in excruciating detail was part of your plot to cause discord among us. Also...your blank letter was probably a fake. Kizakura presented you as not having a secret so we'd place more trust in your morality than anyone else's. That is the truth of this case. Everything is explained with Kizakura as the accomplice."

It wasn't, but for his purposes it would suffice. Makoto dared not meet Celes' eyes as he concluded his lie.

"Taka trying to eat the meal I made for Sayaka as well, was part of his plan. It'd be better if he was poisoned too so we'd have less of a reason to suspect him. But he'd still live because the poison _wasn't_ fatal." Maybe Leon's blunder when he threw the tomato at Taka's plate was good luck after all.

"And with that, it's over." Kyoko backed him.

 

**-[Climax Reasoning: Complete]-**

 

"Grr...Can't you all see he's trying to trick us!?" Kiyotaka barked.

"To your credit, I do believe Makoto has been...suspicious as of late, and I personally do not dare hold faith in him." Celes looked him over with a fake smile. She...had probably seen through his lie. He'd almost feared she would expose him...had she not elaborated. "However, compared to _you_ , Kiyotaka, Makoto's an open-book. I would prefer siding standing with a threat I can predict than the one I can't."

To put it in another words. Taka was far more suspicious. Good enough for him.

"Kiyotaka...I believe it is time for you to come with us and lie down. You are clearly unwell...in more ways than one." Sakura now recognized him as a threat. Her eyes glancing at the rifle in his hand.

"I say we take him down." Leon cracked his knuckles

 

-Kiyotaka Ishimaru-

 

'What do I do? It didn't work!?' He frantically squeezed against his temples.

_**(I never said it would be easy. However...isn't there a simple way to settle this?)** _

'Tell...me'

_**(The answer is in your hand.)** _

'The...rifle? What would I do with this?'

_**(...Shoot him.)** _

_Kiyotaka's thoughts came to a screeching halt as the shadow uttered the impossible._

'Why...would I ever do such a thing!?'

_**(To save him, of course)** _

'By killing him!?'

_**(Killing is unjust, you're incapable of it)** _

'You're not making any sense!'

_**(If you're the one pulling the trigger, then it cannot be murder. It is salvation.)** _

Kiyotaka's face warped with despair. He wanted an answer. Anything, he would accept anything!

_**( The Ultimate Moral compass only walks the path of righteousness. There are infinite roads that lead to degeneracy and decay...but there is only one way to live justly. Now...what paths lie before you?)** _

'I...' His choices...did he even have any?

**_(You do. You can let them capture you and brand you a murderer. If that is your choice, then it would be the correct one)_ **

'No!...I've done nothing wrong. Why do I have to be slandered for a crime I didn't commit?' Was...was this his family's fate? To be doubted and scorned at every turn? No. He wouldn't accept it!

_**(In that case, you really should listen more closely. There is only one correct path...and if there is only one option left, then...naturally...)** _

'It is...righteous!'

 **(Splendid!)** Kiyotaka's double returned, gazing at him with mirth and approval **(You understand. Now let us liberate our classmates from evil. Just as we followed instructions and liberated Sayaka, Mukuro and Hifumi!)**

"Nobody move!" Kiyotaka screamed, aiming his gun at them. Each one tensed as they realized he was serious. "I see. I understand. It's not just Makoto."

"What?" Hina asked.

"You're all accomplices!" He should have known. Why else would anyone suspect him? Makoto must have gotten to them first and brainwashed the lot! These weren't his friends. They were...the enemy. They were enemies of justice, who'd strayed from the proper path, and it was his duty to reign them back in. To save them from whatever is contaminating their minds

Through any means necessary...

 _ **(...Now, show me what justice is capable of.)**_   The woman gently placed her arm over his and steadied gun alongside him. The weapon felt light as a feather.

Kiyotaka's barrel had Makoto's form in his sights...all that remained was to pull the trigger.

...

So he did.

 

-Makoto Naegi-

 

Makoto froze in place when Taka fired. He believed that would have been the decisive blow but... 

"What is it now!?" Kiyotaka yelled in a voice un-befitting him.  "Did it jam!?"

"I believe I said that you were primary suspect." Kyoko's explained. "What on Earth possessed you to think I would have left you with a loaded gun? I took out all except one emergency bullet...which I happened to use on Syo."

"This is a checkmate, if I've ever seen one. Time to fold, Kiyotaka." Celes stated.

"Shut up. I didn't kill anyone. You're all full of shit!"

Makoto didn't imagine he would ever Taka utter anything remotely resembling a curse. He never imagined the prefect would kill their friends either and then try to gun him down. Then again, Taka probably still doesn't realize what's happening to him.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru as he was right now, was a perversion of his true self. Makoto didn't know what kind of **[Despair]** he had, but it was nothing like Leon's, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to put up with the mock trial. Compared to Makoto's previous experiences....Kiyotaka didn't feel threatening at all.

He was...weak. Pathetically so. That was probably the point. Taka values justice and goodwill to a fault...and Enoshima's showing them how worthless those beliefs really are. Assuming each despair had a single ability...then _all_ Kiyotaka could do was delude himself into thinking he was in the right.

Kiyotaka crumpled onto his knees, un-moving -A signal of his defeat.

Victory had never felt so appalling. Makoto took quick glances at the others and found all of them gazing at Kiyotaka with scorn at best and raw hatred at worst.

It was awful. Taka was innocent, he knew that. He also knew that Taka murdered the others. Nobody would believe him once they returned to the mainland, and once word got out...his whole life would be _ruined_.  And none of it was his fault.

Was this alright? Could he leave things like this? He could still-

A shiver crawled up Makoto's spine as his thoughts bordered on a taboo. An act that went against the very nature of self-preservation.

 _'What...was I thinking just now? I don't want anything to do with Junko Enoshima!_ ' Everything about that girl unnerved him. The way she could cause so much pain like it was as easy as breathing, and thought nothing of it. He couldn't have been in that HPA replica long, but the nature of that place repulsed him to the core.

He could never return there. But if he did...could he save the others? If he left the island now...that would be the end, they wouldn't come back.

"We're going inside to check on Ryoko and the rest. Someone bind Kiyotaka." Kyoko instructed.

"Seeing as handcuffs are beyond us, my bandages are sturdy enough to substitute is applied tightly." Sakura said, unwrapping the white fabric from her arms. All the while, she never took her eyes of Syo.

Hina accepted the white bandages and approached Kiyotaka.

Makoto struggled with the choice of living with what remained of his class. Or dying and recovering them all.

'What should I do?'

"Stick out your hands." Hina said.

Kiyotaka did as ordered, his will to fight as empty as the rifle's stock of bullets.

 **'Someone, tell me what to do."** He whispered. 

And something did answer. It made his choice for him.

 "What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me you're _still_ up to something." Makoto heard Hina's puzzled tone. His eyes met a peculiar sight. Taka's arms were definitely sticking out but...only one was facing Hina's direction. The right arm was outstretched into the air.

"My...arm. It...moved on its own." Taka muttered. "It...hurts." The man himself didn't sound convincing.

"Stop fooling around. You don't think I'll believe a word you-"

"W-What in the world?" Kyoko voiced her surprise. Makoto could see why after looking closely. The fabric of Taka's clothes was pushed in, like something coiled its way  _around_ his arm. Red blotches began to form from the inside, staining the white cloth on the arm.

Fear of the unknown welled up inside of Makoto. Fear that immediately became warranted by what occurred the very next moment. The arm... _detached_ itself from the prefect's shoulder with a sickening squelch, as if it was ripped apart by some invisible force. Bone and all. Taka's blood  curdling scream was second to the torrent of blood that sprouted from the opening.

"Hina, back away!" Sakura finally left her post, rushing to Hina's aid, leaving Syo left unchecked...but that was a needless worry to begin with. The man-hunter didn't even try to move. She was every bit as stunned as the rest of them. We could only watch stupefied as Taka's dismembered arm floated several meters in the air. Flailing in front of two...large red pearls.

"I...what is this?" Kyoko used a tone Makoto never expected to hear from the detective. It was the natural response one would make when faced with the unknown. Surprise, curiosity, denial and fear. All mixed together.

As if the heavens sought to answer Kyoko's inquiry, thunder struck, and with it, the rain fell again. Makoto's eyes widened to the extreme. The rain bent and spread out in the air, revealing a giant shape; one that towered over the trees.

The air distorted and the shape began to consolidate. What wrapped around Taka's arm was...a tail. But what captured Makoto's attention most were those impossibly sharp fangs, already dried with blood. And each and every one of them were in range of Its vision.

Strangely enough, Makoto's shoulders relaxed upon taking the beast's form in full. It was easier when you knew the game was over.

"This...isn't fair." He muttered, weakly.

The beast opened its mouth and a deafening roar could have been heard from everywhere on the fifth island.

 

 

-Future Foundation Island-

 

*Yawn*

"You really must get over your bad habit of dozing off everywhere. You might catch a cold." Kazuo Tengan approached him.

"Can I get off without a scolding today? I kind of had my work cut out for me." The boy lied down in the middle of a wreckage that could once have been called an office..

"Quite the mess you made." Tengan remarked. His eyes drifted off to the bodies of his guests. "I'm surprised those two were able to push you this far."

"Doesn't matter in the end. They were more or less normal, without despair of any kind." Takumi responded with indifference 

Tengan made a skeptical grunt.

"Okay, I was grandstanding. They were a pain." Takumi stood dusting off his shoulders, clicking his tongue at the torn suit, bruises and cuts. "Cain's more suited to fights...where is he anyway? He wasn't at the meeting."

"His mission with the Neverminds takes priority. If all goes well, he may be able to retrieve Jabberwock on the island." Tengan rubbed his chin. "Why do you ask? Did you want to go in his stead?"

"Right...changed my mind. I'm better off babysitting here." He relented. He didn't want to go near that thing.

"Place those two in the cryogenic chambers." Tengan referred to Munakata and Juzo

"Haaa? Do you know how much work that is?...And why?" He asked

"I will give them a proper funeral and put them to rest alongside Yukizome. Ready the preparations." Tengan spoke softly. 

"Will do." Takumi sighed, then to escape the tedious chore for a moment, he inquired on an important topic of discussion. His tone turned serious for a brief moment "Is there a point to all this? I mean, none of it will matter if that Naegi guy doesn't win."

"Takumi, my boy. There is a lesson you need to learn." Tengan replied with an equally determined expression. "Miracles only happen because someone brings them about. Even if Makoto Naegi does succeed in defeating Junko Enoshima, it won't matter if we on Earth don't put in the effort."

"Do you really believe in him that much?"

 "You forgot that too?"

Takumi tilted his head. "I don't think so. What am I forgetting?"

Tengan paused at the question, then made a self-derisive chuckle. "It would appear I am the one at fault this time. I forgot to inform the you of this world that he has defeated Enoshima in the past. I have little doubt he can do it again. In fact, he has no choice but to win"

Tengan formed a grin "At the very least, he must try. This tedious battle royale between **us** will not advance if he doesn't."

 

 

**CHAPTER 2: Black and White Morality**

**SURVIVORS: 3**

**BAD END**  

 

 

 _It was a meeting long passed. An elderly man at the end of his life and in stark contrast, a boy who had only touched the realm of_ _adolescence_

_"Kiyotaka."_

_"Grandfather. You're...speaking again?" The boy addressed his grandfather with reproach. He believed the older man to have been the source of great discord in his life...but one that still ought to have been shown proper respect._

_"Yes...It has been some time."_

_"A lot of people...are saying bad things about us." It was nothing short of strange that they were only now having this conversation. But there had never been a chance before. The elder had shut himself off from everyone._

_"Because of me."_

_That went without saying._

_"Was there really a scandal?"_

_"Yes and No. The world is a cruel and chaotic place. I strayed from the right path...but it wasn't nearly as farcical as the drivel fed to the public. I was punished, because I chose to disobey that group. Rising to the heights of the political world was why I chose to run for prime minister. How could I have known I'd end up just another puppet once I attained that seat?"_

_"I don't understand." His words made little sense to the boy. What group would the (former) prime minister need to serve?_

_"I hope you never do."_

_..._

_"Why are you here? Should I bring father?"_

_"No. I have come to say goodbye...to the future of the Ishimarus."_

_The conversation grew more confusing with each passing moment, yet he understood that the topic was no light matter. Regardless of his personal feelings, he had to be receptive and positive. In a man of his grandfather's position, suicide would not be out of the question. He'd certainly heard enough of the  cruel and irresponsible jeers demanding it of his grandfather. "Are you going somewhere?"_

_"I must. For my family's future. For you."_

_There it was again. What did he mean by our future?_

_"Kiyotaka...would you listen to an old fool's ramblings?"_

_He nodded._

_"1) Do not rely on fortune. Despise it. If you desire something, work towards it with your own abilities."_

_He...didn't need to be told that. His grandfather's infamy served as a very reminder. He must have known that...._

_"2) Know yourself better than anyone can know you. So long as you understand and are honest to your true nature, you can never be manipulated."_

_That shift in atmosphere was all to noticeable._

_"And three?"_

_"...What do you think of friendship?" His grandfather asked. It was a sensitive topic, and in no small part the elder's fault._

_"Friends are...people you care a lot for, and can expect the same kindness in return" Not like he had much experience. He may as well have gotten that description of a textbook._

_"And what is the most essential element in that relationship?"_

_"Trust." There were many others, such as empathy, dependability, and support, however, trust stood out most to him. "If they're someone I can place my faith in,  then they should have all the qualities I want in a companion._ _"_

_His grandfather stayed silent. He wasn't sure what to think but he didn't believe he'd answered wrongly. The question thrown at him was one with a universal and stable answer. Even a child could answer it correctly._

_"Trust, is it?"  The senior narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that may be more than I knew at the time. Sadly, I made the critical mistake of confusing trust for dependence." He sighed. "However, you are wrong, Kiyotaka."_

_"How?" Sure he'd never had many friends, but trust was important in any relationship. Nothing could be built without it!_

_"Be they companions, acquaintances or even temporary allies, the most essential component of a partnership...is equality."  Toranosuke Ishimaru faced him with a stern and resolute countenance "Friendship is about give and take, and do not ever make the mistake of taking more than you are able to give."_

_...If he didn't know better, his grandfather made it sound like having friends was like..." A power struggle?"_

_"Do not hold such a narrow view on the world. Power is not necessarily the same as violence, coercion or even competition." The old man shook his head. "Power takes many forms; the means to create, the capacity to understand...and  the ability to bring about an end. So long as you have equal power and both sides recognize it, you will never succumb to dependence. You will never have to fear betrayal."_

_He stood silent. His mind in the middle of assessing whether that philosophy meshed with his own._

_"It's shameful to admit, but that is a lesson I was taught recently." To his surprise, his grandfather chuckled._

_"...Are you laughing?" He gaped, incapable of recalling the last time his grandfather so much as smiled._

_"Yes...today is a very good day. For the first time since my reputation was destroyed." He spoke of such grand humiliation as if it were a mildly unpleasant memory. It grated him, for that memory was still a stain in the present._

_"I...want to run for prime minister." He said out of the blue._

_"Like I did?"_

_"No. I''ll run and manage this country honestly, without relying on shady prospects."_

_"You will certainly no small amount of resistance carrying my name."_

_"I don't care. I'll prove to the whole country that I'm my own man. I won't let your stigma follow me for the rest of my life." He declared, unashamed of his arrogance. This was one aspect of his life that he would never deny, not for anyone. His dreams meant the world to him._

_Toranosuke let out a hefty laughter. For the second time, he witnessed a miracle._

_"My idiocy knows no limit. To think I had nearly gone through an entire life of easy-gotten riches...yet failed to notice there was a rare treasure under my own nose all this time. Or...was my talent precisely the reason I remained ignorant?" Those words weren't meant for him. His grandfather basked in his own self reflection. " **How frightening, every last word she told me was the truth**. In that event, it is the very least I can do to plant the seeds for your success, Kiyotaka." _

_Plant the seeds? "What are you talking about?"_

_Toranosuke ruffled his descendant's hair "It's nothing for you to worry about." It was an affectionate gesture. One that he felt wasn't entirely welcomed. Years of bitterness couldn't be wiped away so easily, even if he wished it._

_Still, that didn't mean he couldn't try._ _"Then...what about you? People still haven't forgotten, you know? You'll have to stand up for yourself eventually." His grandfather needed to stop cowering away. If he made the effort to redeem himself in the eyes of the people, then he maybe he could get over his shame._

 _But it wasn't to be._ _"No. I do not care for their slander anymore. As far as I'm concerned, their scorn is for a dead man. A naive fool who coasted through life on his half-baked talent. I have changed."_

_That part was certainly true. He had never been close to his grandfather, but he definitely didn't remember him being like this before. He was carefree to the point that his head was stuck in the clouds. That was likely the reason he failed to see his administration collapsing from under him. However right now, Toranosuke appeared very down to Earth,  yet every bit as relaxed. "Where is all this coming from?"_

_"Someone came to me. A golden-haired child, not much older than you but incomparable all the same. Truthfully, I do not care about her nature and I doubt I could understand how that family operates - what she left me with is what matters."_

_"What's that?"_

_"The courage to surpass myself." Toranosuke Ishimaru smiled widely at this grandson  "For the first time in ages...I am alive."_

_...._

Makoto found himself on a bed when he woke; a quick glance around showed he was in his dorm room. He slid off the bed, taking note of his pajamas, which was...pretty normal. "Was it all a dream?" He sure hoped so. But he wouldn't even be able to tell which part. Take for example...why did he dream about being Taka? The fantasy was so vivid in Makoto's mind that he felt like he'd _lived_ that moment. Weird, since he'd never seen what the ex-prime minister looked like, he'd only heard about the scandal from his parents or gossip.

"Maybe I should ask Taka about in class." He muttered...nah, he'd just think I was crazy. The others would probably laugh at him for having a dream about another guy anyway...

Makoto motioned to his closet, where slid open the door and pulled out a set of his favorite hoodie combination. There was only one pair. Where'd the others go? He closed the door and turned to the side...where his vision was suddenly blocked by a black suit.

"Huh?" The puzzled lucky student...raising his head upwards to come face-face with a slightly older, but so much taller boy. Makoto's heart nearly stopped.

The brown-haired boy wouldn't consider himself an expert judge of character, but he'd met more than enough eccentrics and top class people at Hope's Peak to recognize the extraordinary when he saw it. And this guy stood out even then, and he wasn't talking about the ridiculously long hair.

His impassive features were thoroughly unreadable - a poker face that would make the queen of liars herself green with envy. Piercing scarlet irises stared down at Makoto, instantly reminding him of his first days with Kyoko, who anatomized his every move to unravel what lay beneath the surface. This person evidently didn't need nearly as long, for his gaze quickly left Makoto.

The intruder walked around the room as if it was his own, exuding confidence reminiscent of Togami. It was the sort of arrogance and control that made one doubt the wind could even blow a strand of hair on his head without being first granted permission. No small wonder Makoto hadn't heard a single step. His head turned to the door and gulped when he saw it was still closed.

 _'Or had he been here the whole time?'_ He almost dismissed the notion. As silent as this person was, his presence was equally as imposing. Not unlike Sayaka, where they drew in attention like a black hole just by remaining in the vicinity. How on Earth would Makoto have missed him? 

He stopped by a desk and stared at Makoto once more and finally spoke. "You are surprisingly calm, all things considered." His voice was sleek and tempered as it was robotic. A feat he'd only known Ikusaba to replicate. 

"Have you grown desensitized already? I find that unlikely, but that might be an interesting development in its own way." Makoto would have thought that a whimsical joke if not for his countenance suggesting he was capable of anything but.

"Answer." A single utterance carrying equal weight to a deluge of commands from Kiyotaka.

Makoto couldn't speak. He was more confused than he was frightened. That was to be expected given the peculiar situation. As a result, Makoto reflexively did what he always did when happening upon an unfamiliar face. "Uh...Hi there. I'm Makoto. You are?" He waved awkwardly.

The unknown person studied him, like an adult contemplating whether it was necessary to respond to the unconcerted splutters of a child.

"I will not call it a reward for your performance, as you lost. Nevertheless, in deference to  _miraculously_ making Enoshima keep her promise to entertain me with a cliche, but decent act, I will tell you."

...Enoshima. Ah, so it was real after all. 

"Izuru Kamukura."

_I'm back here again..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably the longest chapter, content wise. Seriously, think I dumped 9 chapters worth of plot points prematurely here. Additionally, this chapter has shown, mentioned, or alluded to every relevant character in this fic in some shape or form.
> 
> On another note, It probably goes without saying at this stage, but Junko is not the sole antagonist; It's a free-for-all of several and Junko may or may not even be the final one. However, she is the most central to Naegi's development.
> 
> For the chapter itself. I experimented with some of V3's features and thought they'd make a nice addition (given this arc originally started as a team building exercise specifically for Makoto/Kyoko/Leon. I'd appreciate getting some feedback on how it played out so I know whether to keep them in for future arcs or polish anything.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	18. Interlude II: Sonia Nevermind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next 3 chapters will be a flashback arc mainly from Sonia's PoV and extending to school life at HPA with the other members of Class 77. That also includes previews of what happened on Jabberwock Island.

-6 years ago-

 

Sonia Nevermind was groomed to be Queen from birth. She had never known want or mediocrity, anything and everything she desired was readily prepared – the many attendants of the royal line saw to that. But the same was true even outside the castle walls. The people of Novoselic showed her unparalleled kindness and respect; grown men bent the knee to a child like herself.

One day, she deigned to ask why before her father, King Lucius Nevermind.

The king let out a hearty laugh at her inquiry, shaking the throne he sat on. “That is only natural, Sonia. They are your future subjects, both to lead and to protect. This world is built upon equality and reciprocity. For centuries, our family has given them hope and they, in turn, have rewarded us with reverence.” The monarch left his royal seat and approached his daughter, resting his palm gently on her soft hair.

“Never forget your place, Sonia. You are the princess of Novoselic first and foremost. Your duty is always to our people, regardless of where you are or whom you become.”

“Yes, father.”

For many years, Sonia adhered to that ignorant lifestyle. She never complained, never desired more, nor did she find her royal treatment out of the ordinary. A fish who only knew the ocean waves, should not contemplate what laid outside the ocean’s boundaries. But Sonia was a girl afflicted by boundless, almost unnatural curiosity. She dreamed of the outside world she had never seen and the scope of her interests were vast, extending the customs and thought processes of the morally disinclined.

Mere days before her 14th birthday; a national holiday to be celebrated by the entire nation at that. Festivities were set to occur for the whole week. The preparations that went into the ceremony were stressing. She was glad to have been granted a break from her instructors, even for a few minutes. Sonia wandered off to the outskirts of the castle for fresh air and found  _him_  there. He was too old to be called a child, but not old enough that society would consider him a man. His features were striking; pale skin, ashen-blonde hair, a black military trench coat, and – upon directing his gaze towards her – steely black eyes. He…did not give off the aura of a civilian, nor had she ever seen him in the castle before.

Sonia briefly considered that he might have been a kidnapper (she would rather not go through such tedious ordeals again.), but that thought was shot down after he turned away, paying her no further attention.

“An auspicious day, isn’t it?” Sonia cordially greeted the older male.

“…No different from all the others.” The stranger’s voice was rough and elicited disinterest.

“…It is mere days my birth week.” Sonia stated matter-of-factly, as if a revering connotation should naturally follow suit. However, the boy gave her look that said, ‘So what?’

“Are you…not from here?” The Nevermind princess asked, confused

“No. I was born here. Though I haven’t stepped foot on this soil in a long time.”

“But you must know who I am.” Sonia didn’t give immediately her name. It was a matter of a matter of principle.

“…Sonia Nevermind.” He said. “I don’t know what you want but if you’re itching to play master and servant, go find your  _actual_  servants. You haven’t done a thing to earn my subordination.”

He exuded a staggering amount of hostility for someone he’d never met. Additionally, there was a misconception that Sonia felt be corrected. “You were born here, were you not? By that token alone, you  _are_  my subject.”

“Novoselic is just the land I was conceived on, it doesn’t define me.” With little more than a condescending glare, the boy  _walked away._

Sonia flinched at the remark. By all account, he had the appearance of a commoner…yet she could feel a suppressed dignity coming from him. Nevertheless, hat detail was irrelevant to her current state of mind.

That level of disrespect was unfounded in her experience. Nobles from all around Novoselic would give up fortunes just to get in her good graces. Even her previous captors treated her as one would an esteemed (albeit unwilling) guest. In lieu of their deference, even in insurrection, some were granted pardons or a stay of execution. However, this boorish stranger dared to spit on her lineage. Was that not the same as trampling on the dignity of Novoselic itself?

The princess was consumed by a quiet anger. She was a lady and even more, she was royalty. Sonia would not allow her actions to be ruled by base emotions, thus her indignation was easily suppressed...That would normally be the case, however Sonia was led by another force this time. It was an unmistakable emotion that drove every child, regardless of status or gender. Curiosity, that is to say: a thirst for adventure and to perceive the unknown.

 _‘By my family’s name, I will make him reconsider his words, then grant him a suitable punishment.’_  Sonia let that excuse carry her into the expansive woods as she trailed behind the man in secret.

 

\---

 

“Do you really have this much time on your hands?”  The older boy asked.

“I demand you apologize for your rudeness.” Sonia huffed.

 “…What do you really want? If you cared so much about your pride, then you would have gone to your father already. He’s the one with any real power.”

“You believe Sonia Nevermind to be no more than a weak child?” She fumed

…With an exasperated look, he proceeded “Why don’t you take a look at  _yourself_  before talking.”

Sonia pouted, acknowledging that she  _may_  have made some minor error along the way. She tailed the boorish individual to a shoddy looking house. The small residence was out in the middle of nowhere. With the amount of decay, she wondered if anyone’d lived there in months, if not years. The inside did little to change Sonia’s opinion, a gust of dirt led to her breaking out into a series of coughs. Which in turn resulted in her capture. A blow to the head rendered her unconscious and when she awoke, her hands and legs had already been tied with rope.

“If I untie you, will you finally leave?” His tone was almost pleading.

“Not until you apologize.”

“…I suppose this is my punishment opening my mouth.” He sighed.

Sonia’s curious eyes were drawn towards to a nearby wall. There was a rack stationed there. One that held an assortment of rifles, guns and grenades. Certainly not items to be left carelessly in one’s home. “So many weapons. Are you, by chance, a terrorist?” Sonia marveled at the arsenal all the same.

The boy frowned. “That’s not something you question with a smile. And if I  _were_  a terrorist, wouldn’t that make  _you_  my prime target?”

“You do have a point.” Sonia ruminated over his words, but ultimately decided they mattered little. “No matter, I would merely find a way to escape, then direct the army towards you.”

“…Is this a sovereign’s confidence?”

Sonia shook her head. “A sovereign's experience. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been held captive…and arguably may not be the last.”

The gloomy male observed her in momentary silence. A pause that gave way when he reached into his pocket to pull out a knife. With it, he cut her bonds. “Leave. You’ve wasted enough of my energy today and I’d prefer not to be inconvenienced further with the label of kidnapper.”

Sonia rubbed her wrists, pleased to see there were no indents or anything that might give away injury.

“Just a moment.” She paused as he stopped in his tracks. “I have given my name. It is only courteous that you give yours.”

“Cain Reich art.”

Sonia went back home without much of a fuss and received no reprimand for her absence. It was her right to move wherever she wanted to on the lands, so long as father never forbade it.

 

\---

 

 “Excellent, my lady.” Her instructor praised her for a marvelous dance. It was preparation for the ball that would take place on her birthday. “The word graceful does your steps no justice. Your growth brings me to tears, so much better than when you were a novice.”

“You mean to say I initially lacked promise?” She distinctly recalled receiving praise from the man back then.

“O-of course not. You were perfect even then.”

 _‘But perfection would leave no room for improvement. Why compliment her earlier then?’_  The instructor excused himself, leaving Sonia to practice alone. Without strict tutoring, her mind was given leeway to wonder.

“He only denied being a terrorist. What were all those guns for?” She only noticed that oddity after she left his home.

Sonia eventually grew weary of dancing and sought out her father, in hopes of relieving tedium. Unfortunately, the king was preoccupied. She stood outside his room peering from the opening in the door.

“This scheme of yours sounds like a gamble…very well, I’ll leave it to you. I hope to be read of these pesky rebels once and for all.”

Father was discussing security matters. It was one of those unavoidable scenarios, she supposed. Uprisings had been happening frequently as of rate. Mostly small-scale incidences, but Sonia worried they were building up to something larger.

In that case, then she should do her best to scout potential dangers. Those wayward thoughts led her back to Cain’s shack. Deep down, she was aware her was just a way to assuage her boredom and let loose a bit of stress. This castle at this time of year had a smothering atmosphere.

As nobody replied to Sonia’s knocking, she saw herself in. The door had no lock and was barely held in the place. After a quick search through, she deduced that Cain wasn’t home. And she had come all this way…

Sonia stopped by the weapons rack, reaching from one of the items. This was not her first time holding an assault rifle, it was almost customary that she’d be trained with one at a young age, but the brand was unfamiliar.

*Whistle*

Sonia twisted her body, foisting the gun’s barrel at the new intruder. Her eyes locked onto a boy of medium height, with fiery blond hair beneath a strange hat. His attire was…strange to say the least; a brown garb and spurs attached to his boots.

His features were boyish and his smile, mischievous

“Goddamn! If you were a few years older, this’d be such a turn-on.” He snickered.

“Who are you? I do not believe you belong here.” Sonia’s eyes narrowed. The weapon in her hands invoked a buried intensity.

“Ho?” He drawled out an amused tone “This is your place then? Weird, because I could have  _sworn_  it was ours.”

Ours… “Are you Cain’s relative?”

“Fraternal twins, to be exact. But now that we’ve established that this is  _my_  home, and the intruder is  _you_. Shouldn’t I be the one doing the interrogating?”

“The interrogator is usually the one with the advantage. Do you claim to exceed me in that regard?”

He didn't so much as flinch at the weapon pointed his way. “You kidding? This is Tuesday for me.”

She lessened her grip and lowered the rifle. “But it is Wednesday.” The boy’s response drove Sonia into a state of confusion.

He blinked “…It was a figure of speech.”

“What is the reference?” Sonia asked.

He shook his head. “Wasn’t important anyway. What’s with you though? A little girl dressed up all fancy, playing with guns in a dump like this? It’s an image that’d make any mother cry.”

“My mother passed away years ago.”

“What a surprise, so did mine! Now that we’ve broken the ice, how about we introduce ourselves? You first.” She didn't detect an ounce of sympathy in his tone.

“Sonia Nevermind.” She said.

“…. Bullshit. You got any proof?”

“You desire evidence…Just a moment, you commented on my dressing. Surely it’s enough to know I am not a commoner.” She pointed to the jewels embroidered on her dress.

“Smart one. Yeah, I was messing around, your highness.” He gave a bow.

A weirdo, this one. “And yours?”

“Abel. It isn’t my real name, but it’s not like I remember that. Call me whatever you like.”

“That shall not stand! A name is one of the most important gifts you could receive. I demand you treat it with greater care.” Sonia planted her hand in front. For one with a history as rich as her own, she couldn’t fathom how he could disregard his as if it were garbage.

“Why…did I feel like getting on my knees just then?” He wondered.

“You’re both noisy.” Cain entered the room.

“Mucho tiempo sin verte, mi hermano.” Abel tossed his hat over to Cain. The other male paid it no mind and let it drop to the floor. Spanish was one of the languages Sonia spoke fluently, thus she understood that Abel designated Cain as his brother. Looking between the two, she could see some resemblance, but their personalities couldn’t be farther apart.

“…Who are you?” Cain replied with a deadpanned expression.

“You’re fucking horrible.” Abel laughed. “We haven’t met in a year and  _that’s_  my welcome?”

“What in the world are you wearing?”

“I had a job in Mexico and you know the saying; when in Rome, grab a poncho.”

“. I have never seen such garments before…and we are in Novoselic, not Mexico.” Abel had a funny way of speaking. Perhaps he was one of those mentally disabled?

Abel faced her. “How sheltered are you?”

“Didn’t you get the message last time? I don’t want anything to do with you.” Cain threw her an annoyed look.

“Hmmm~. What’s this I’m hearing? You and the little miss had an outing before?” Abel’s eyes shifted between the two as he smirked suggestively.

“I do not believe I am much younger than you.” Sonia grew tired of being treated like a child.

“Aren’t you 14 soon? That’s almost a 4-year difference right there.”

“Brats calling each other brats. And this day started off so well.” Cain said.

“Defending her already? Sheesh, when’s the wedding?” The blonde jester whistled.

“...I get a headache every time you open your mouth.”

“I try.”

“We are certainly not in that sort of relationship.” Sonia addressed Abel. “I returned to make your brother apologize properly for insulting the crown.”

Abel snorted with amusement. "Pffft. Is picking on girls your new hobby? We sure I’m not the older twin?”

“Both of you, get out.” Cain seethed.

“I am not finished- “Sonia was cut off by Abel’s hand on her wrists.

“Let’s go, Sonia. Bro here can’t handle a conversation for more than 5 minutes. Guys with no stamina are pathetic right?”  He joked

...

“Where shall we go? To town?” Sonia asked as they wandered through the woods.

Abel looked at her, slack jawed. “You nuts? No way am I going to be seen around you in public.”

‘Nuts? I am not very fond of them.’ She furrowed her brow at the thought. “Is there a problem with us socializing?”

“You see, I’m what productive society calls a delinquent. The kind of guy mommy and daddy tells nice, cute girls like you to stay away from.”

“You do appear quite dangerous.”

“You’re awful! Don’t you know not to judge a book by its cover?”

“I was not. You give off the impression of a savage beast. This ‘delinquent’ term, as you put it, appears accurate.”

 “Aren’t you a heart-breaker. And here the great me was about to take you hunting.”

“Hunting?” Sonia asked, thinly-veiled interest seeping through her.

“Yeah, we’re trapping rabbits.” He showed off a toothy grin.

…

“See, easy. Ain’t it adorable?” Abel held a white rabbit by its ears. The poor creature’s legs moved but to no avail. Sonia was amazed at how fast the boy was to catch it, and how he’d accurately predicted the rabbit’s movements.

“Very much so. What shall you do with it?”

“Hm…fry and eat it, I guess.”

Sonia gave him a dead-panned stare. “I…see. I’ve heard rabbit-meat is a delicacy in some countries.”

“It was a joke! What do you take me for?” He freed the rabbit and watched it scurry away. “That was practice, for keeping in shape. Rabbit meat tastes like crap, I’ll never go back to it.”

Then he  _had_ eaten it before. Sonia surmised their financial situation were likely unpleasant, if that house was anything to go by.

“Huh? In the past sure, but now we should have plenty of cash. We just like it there.”

“In that…house?” She put it as politely as possible.

“Yeah. A bit of a dump, but it’s home and we like it that way.” He shrugged. “Though I wouldn’t mind if someone cleaned up once in a while.”

Sonia had seen her maids clean her room many times, yet she had never done it herself. “May I try?”

The boy seemed to consider it. “Maybe next time. Shouldn’t you be hurrying on home?” He looked to the setting sun, lighting the forest an orange hue.

Sonia gasped. She had forgotten all about her lessons, did not tell anyone she had left the castle…but, she did not want to return quite yet.

“Why the hesitation? Don’t tell me you actually like hanging out with us bozos.” Abel scratched his hair.

“Is that a problem? Your words are alien to me, but they sound very fun.” Sonia clasped her hands together.

“Lingo huh? No problem, just stick with me and I’ll show you the ropes. You’ll be as cool as me in no time.” He patted her head.

“In that case, shall I bring a sweater?”

“…Don’t...hold me to the ‘no time’ part.” He dusted his back. “So, what about the other one?”

The other being Cain. “I wish to know if all men outside Novoselic have such poor manners.”

“That bad?” He laughed.

“Had I been in a worse mood, I would have ordered him sent to the gallows.”

“Public execution eh? That’d be a fun sight.” His smile dangled on the corner of his lips “Funny, since he usually keeps to himself whenever I’m not around. If he said enough to piss you off so badly, then you must have struck a nerve yourself.”

“I do not believe I spoke out of turn, or out of the ordinary.”

“A matter of perspective. The one who takes offense is the receiving party, so they’ll be the ones deciding if you got under their skin. From the sounds of it, you both started off on the wrong foot either way." Abel asked.

“I was so frustrated that I wished to ascertain if your brother was a threat to Novoselic and apprehend him if so.” Sonia puffed her chest with pride.

“And…you came by yourself?” He asked with raised brows, it was a rhetorical question obviously.  “What the heck happened to those dainty princess stereotypes?”

“Do not worry. As mentioned, I would not have Cain executed. Instead, I planned on thoroughly re-educating him on courtesy, beginning by making him my butler.”

The orange- blonde clutched his stomach as he howled in laughter “Holy shit. You’re killing me.”

Sonia presumed that was another ‘figure of speech’ as Abel called it.

“You’re a cool broad, Sonia. Feel free to come back any time you like.”

 

\---

 

Sonia took Abel on his invitation the next day.

“What are we doing over here?” She asked Abel.

“I asked my brother to meet us over there.”

“Why there?” Sonia pointed to an area in the distance.

“You’ll see when he shows up…. ah right on time.”

Sonia peered over to see Cain walking towards Abel’s designated location. The boy wore no smiles and tucked his hands in his pockets. It was a normal sight, right up until he took the next step. Suddenly the ground he walked on burst into flames as a condensed explosion rocked the ground.

Sonia gaped in horror at the sight. Any attempt at screams would have been drowned out by the laughter of the boy next to her.

“You…what have you done?” She whispered.

Abel sat on the ground, gazing at her humorously. “A little prank. Picked up some incendiary mines and thought I’d lay a trap for him.”

 “Then you believe he survived that?"

“Not really. But it’d be cute if that was enough to kill him. Realistically, he dodged at the last second.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Sonia didn’t quite understand, but the boy’s tone suggested this display was nothing out of the ordinary. “Is this a form of play between brothers?”

“No, I think that’s just us-…. woah!” Abel dodged a rock that flew straight toward his head in a weird way. The self-proclaimed delinquent fell into the ground. Before he could stand, a shadow loomed over him.

Sonia blinked at how quickly Cain had reached them. He zoomed even faster then Abel chasing the rabbit the previous day.

“Grit your teeth.” The older brother said.

“Are you sure about this? I could have a bomb wrapped under my vest. You could set it off, you know?” They younger sounded confident, but the beads of sweat rolling down his face told a different tale.

“If that means you die, then I’ll gladly pay the price.”

“…Aw come on. I was just testing if the blasted things worked for our next job…” Abel cut himself short, sensing the futility of his excuse. “…Not the face.” He said just before a fist impacted his jaw.

Sonia giggled. “It must be nice to have siblings.”

Cain stopped in the middle of yet another punch, scrunching his face at Sonia’s observation. He shook his head and released his grip from Abel’s collar. “I don’t see what’s nice about putting up with this idiot.”

Abel picked himself up, wincing as he touched his right cheek. “What, you’re an only child? I thought the royal family would have pumped out tons of babies to preserve the line.” He addressed Sonia with a lopsided grin. She began to realize that cockiness was the boy’s default expression.

“That is not always the case. A number of potential successors may lead to in-fighting in the family.” She corrected him.

He rubbed his chin, then looked at Cain. “Makes sense. Hey, don’t we know someone who’s been though that?”

The ashen-blonde closed his eyes. “Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

She continued. “In my circumstances however, I believe it is because my father refuses to remarry, thus I have no siblings.”

“D’aww, guess Old King Lucy really liked your mom. How nice.” Something about Abel’s tone was worrying…cold even.

“Why did you call me here? If it was for that little joke you pulled earlier, I’m getting back to punching.” Cain.

“Calm down, you muscle-brained gorilla. We’re having a picnic.”

“A picnic?” Sonia asked, then looked to a bag Abel brought with him.

“It’s an outing among friends and family. You can have one pretty much anywhere, as long as it’s far from home. It’s all about the sights and unfamiliarity, you see.” Abel explained.

“Although, there’s usually food involved.” Cain elaborated.

“What? You hungry? Go catch a rabbit.” Abel teased.

“We are friends?” Sonia nervously fiddled with her fingers, catching onto the implications behind Abel’s remark.

“Yup, and I’ve decided to hold a celebration to commemorate that.”  He brought out box containing sandwiches underneath and passed one off to Sonia.

She looked at it for a second before eating.

“You’ll really eat that? What would you do if it was poisoned?” Cain cast her a disappointed look.

 “It tastes normal.” Sonia said.

“ _Just_  normal? I put my heart and soul into that meal.” Sonia ignored the younger brother’s feigned grief to focus on Cain, who hadn’t so much as looked at his own portion.

“Will you not eat?” She asked.

“It’s poisoned.” He replied

“Did we not already confirm otherwise?”

“Yours might be clean, but mine isn't.” Cain replied, with assurance.

“See what I have to put up with, Sonia. This machine can’t appreciate a damn thing I do for him.” Abel pouted.

“It’s because I acknowledge your talents that I’m  _certain_  this is another one of your warped attempts at teasing.”

“Eh? Prove it.”

“Fine. If you want to relieve my worries…eat it first.” Cain glared at Abel.

“Woah, you’d take another guy’s sloppy seconds?”

“It wouldn’t be any different from what we did as kids.”

“It’s poison.” He gave up.

“Pest.”

“Is it really?” Sonia said, taken aback.

Abel scratched his hair. “Yeah, there were toxic berries in the woods that I mixed into his.”

“You must be aware how dangerous your actions are, and the same for the explosion earlier. Why are you trying to kill him?”

The target in question snorted. “If I get done in by this clown, then I deserved to die.”

“There you have it. He doesn’t mind one bit, and it’s a fun pastime for me.” Abel shrugged.

“I am not sure I approve…but I understand that you both must place an extraordinary amount of faith and confidence in one another.”

"I'd rather not think that." "Disgusting." 

\---

 

“What are your travels like?” The next day, Sonia inquired about the boys’ hobbies.

“Adventure’s one of life’s great joys. Great people, great food and gorgeous sights. You interested?”  Abel, being the most socially inclined of the three was quick to answer. “It’s all about breaking your preconceptions. Just when you think you’ve got a grip on how the world works, move a few hundred kilometers and it’s like you stepped foot on Mars, or whatever dirtball’s out in space. Us humans are versatile. Go to New Zealand and I’m treated like a second cousin to strangers. Then enter parts of Russia and suddenly I’ve become a menace.”

“Rather than hostility, I’d say that’s an intelligible assessment on their part.” Cain made a backhanded comment.

“ _The point_ is that I’m never bored thanks to all the customs out there, and I wouldn’t say any’s objectively better than the other. Gotta have the pain with the pleasure, else the experience isn’t worth jack. Not to Every new country lets me feel like I’ve gained a new identity. Like I can be anyone.”

Cain scoffed. “Isn’t that a convenient philosophy; doesn’t that mean you’re just dissatisfied with your current self?”

“And you’re not?” Abel returned the chiding comment. The elder twin didn’t reply.

“And you, Cain?” Sonia asked. She reasoned he too was a traveler from their first meeting.

“I have no interest.”

Sonia sighed. “That is something of a waste.”

“For him, you’re talking about a superfluous part of the job. All he cares about is following orders like a good little dog.” Abel spoke with an inflection in his voice. If there was some scorn directed towards Cain, the latter failed to pick up on it.

 Sonia internally ruminated on what sort of occupation could children like themselves undertake that would allow them to move around the world. She chose not to question, instead opting to inquire on a matter closer to her heart.

“What of Novoselic?” She wished to hear Abel’s opinion, as the older sibling had already voiced his universal thoughts.

“Novoselic is…home.” That was his uncharacteristically monotonous reply. It was a vague response, holding a microcosm of emotions, but Sonia leaned to a positive interpretation. Her decision couldn’t be faulted. It was a matter of nationalist pride, and on an even simpler basis, the belief that nowhere one would call home could be hated.

Despite their lower status, these brothers did not hold an ounce of reverence for the Nevermind princess. They treated Sonia as an equal, if not inferior in some regards. Cain’s cold and pessimistic attitude belayed wisdom beyond his years. Abel was wild and crude, however mistaking him for a fool would only reveal yourself to be such.

To them, Sonia was a regular girl. Most surprising of all…was that she preferred it that way.

 

\---

 

For Sonia, not even a dust mite would be overlooked in the castle. The maids worked gracefully and tirelessly to maintain the standard of pristine quality. Therefore, the clutter in the boys’ home was unacceptable, and certainly had nothing to do with her wanting to try cleaning for herself. Currently, Sonia was preoccupied with sweeping the floors, using an old broom that felt like it would break if she applied any more force on the handle.

“What are you doing?” Cain asked, watching Sonia hold onto the broom.

“Cleaning.” She stated the obvious.

“I’ll rephrase.  Why do you keep coming here?”

“You are my friends.”

Cain cocked his head. “I’m painfully dull and my twin is a reckless goon, not likely to live a long life. Why involve yourself with either of us? Or are you deluded enough to think the grass is greener on a salted field?”

“I can not deny I feel some - perhaps unwarranted - envy towards your lifestyle, but you are incorrect at one point. You both possess rather unbecoming traits, and I have not completely forgiven your earlier transgressions against me.”

“Get to the point.” Cain said.

“As Abel put it, one must take the pain with the pleasure.”

“And the pleasure  _is_?”

“You are both very interesting to me, and much different than what I am used to. Call it a selfish whim if you like, but I wish to impose upon you.”

“In other words, you’ll inevitably tire once you’ve learned everything you need to. I can live with that.”  Cain assessed her form and continued “I take it you’ve never touched a broom in your life?”

“How could you tell?”

“Your sloppy movements and the fact that you’ve missed too many spots to count.” He pointed to the many untouched spaces of dirt. “Hand it over, I’m not shameless enough to let a guest tidy up my own home.”

“No, I insist upon this task.”

“Give it.”

“No. I demand you stand down.” Sonia planted her hand in front.

“…” The boy raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she was doing.

Sonia coughed. “Usually, most would obey immediately after I assume that post. With my father being the only exception.”

“And what would the king do if he found out you were delegated to menial tasks in the home of strangers?”

“Your heads would doubtlessly roll.” She probably wouldn’t be able to persuade her father otherwise either.

“If that’s all, then no problems.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“I’ll show you the ropes. As banal as this is, I doubt I’ll be able to change your mind. At the very least, you should be productive.”

“Am I really doing such a bad job?”

“If I ever came across undisciplined in my unit, I’d give them quite the hard time. Simply put, you’re terrible enough to solidify that you’ve never done anything for yourself.”

Sonia bit back a snappy comeback, recognizing there was some truth to his statement. “Very well. I welcome your tutelage, Cain.”

“Sir.”

Sonia blinked. “Pardon me?”

“You’ll address me as ‘Sir’, understand?”

Sonia assumed Cain’s newfound enthusiasm was a form of roleplay, or something to get into the mood. The coming hours served to prove that she had never been so wrong in her life.

“First, you’re Goldilocks, now you’re Snow-white. You  _did_  clean up right?” Abel said, as if her exhausted form and dirt-ridden clothes weren’t evidence enough.

“Yes, sir.”

The orange-blonde froze. “… _What_?”

“My apologies. I haven’t broken out of the mindset quite yet. I requested your brother’s assistance and he…well…” How would she put it?

Abel touched his chin. “Went full drill-sergeant on you?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Even my military trainer did not push me quite so hard. I wasn’t aware cleaning was such a frightening ordeal.”

“What do you know? He’s taken a liking to you after all.”

Sonia was skeptical at the implication “ _That_  was a show of affection?”

“Yeah, bro’s a total war geek. It’s about the only thing that can get him going, and you know what they say: showing off your hobbies is what friends do.”

“Ah, you mean to say he emulates soldiers as his hobby.” Sonia placed a finger against her lips, then beamed brightly. “In that case, I am grateful to have experienced that side of him.”

“Emulating…not how I’d put it. Either way, hope he wasn’t too hard on you.”

She would say yes but that would be rude. “His instructions were excellent. My efficiency tripled near the end.” And it showed. The insides of the house were thoroughly cleaned and dusted.

“Glad you had fun, and glad I don’t have to keep living in a dump.” He smiled. Though she reflected on why neither of them had bothered to maintain upkeep.

“Say, what was that about having a military instructor?”

Sonia explained that it was required of her and many others to undergo military training. Sonia was not simply meant to be a figurehead, but a future queen that would command Novoselic’s forces.

Abel was seemingly impressed by that information. “Then you know your way around a gun. Man, if you were a few years older, and someone completely different, I’d be head over heels.”

That, in no way, felt like a compliment. “Is that the only reason you asked.”

“Nah. You’ve given me an idea for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow…that would be one day before the ceremony. She would barely have time. “I should leave for home.”

“Really? I was just about to make dinner.”

Sonia laughed awkwardly, not really in a daring mood to try one of his...’recipes.’

….

“Sonia.”

“Yes, father?”

“The servants informed me that you were…less than clean when you returned. What happened?”

She told the truth. “I’m sorry for appearing in such a shoddy state, but I contracted dirt on an outing with my friends.”

The king’s eyes widened a notable fraction. Understandably, as Sonia never mentioned her friends around him. Mainly because she had none. She had acquaintances at school, but they all kept their distance. Not physically. The other students engaged her quite frequently, however in the hearts, they had already created by themselves, a chasm between them and herself. Royalty couldn’t mingle so frivolously with the commoners.

“Wonderful news. Just be more careful next time. You must maintain your dignity at all times.”

Sonia expressed mild surprise at her father’s dismissal of the news. “You won’t ask who they are?”

“You’re capable of choosing your own friends.”

 

\---

 

Getting out of the castle was more difficult the following day. She’d promised to only be gone for no longer than 2 hours. Sonia wasn’t expecting to be dragged out of the brothers’ homes almost as soon as she arrived. After elaborating on her time constraints, Abel had grabbed her by the hand and ran out the door. Cain followed from behind with a bag strapped to his shoulders.

“What are we doing here?” Sonia inquired. The three had moved a good distance away from the shack and were stationed on a small cliff. Abel used his binoculars to stare far off into the distance; a plain where antelopes frolicked about.

Cain opened the bag and procured a hunting rifle with a scope attached to it. “Hunting.” He said.

That…would be a first. “I may have experience with fire arms, but I have never shot at a person.”

“That’s why you’ll be shooting animals first.” Abel said, jovially.

…She might need to have a very lengthy talk with the boy about ethics on a later date, but right now…did he not utter something out of place? “First?” Sonia asked, puzzled.

“Yeah. You know. Practicing for self-defence. I’ll even let you take shots at me.”

“I do not feel comfortable with that at all.”

“You shouldn’t be so hasty. Shooting at this clown is good for relieving stress. Although hitting him is a different story.” Cain added.

Abel stuck his tongue out at the other male. “Now, let’s start.” Abel decided to make the game a competition, to see who could secure a kill the fastest.

Sonia gingerly held the rifle, feeling the soft leather on his fingertips. These weapons were not inexpensive – She thought. Through the rifle’s scope, she viewed the deer and antelopes chewing on grass, completely unaware that they were about to become prey.

“3…2…1.” Abel’s countdown began…and at zero, gunfire rang through the air, and the herd of wildlife scattered. All but 2, who were shot down instantly.

“I hit my target.” Cain spoke first.

“As did I.” Sonia was next, not very pleased by that fact. Though that meant the one who lost was…

“Bullshit. You stole my kill.” Abel snapped at her.

“After all that bravado, she turned out to be the better shot. You’re pathetic.” Cain chastised him.

“It was a fluke. One more round!” Abel whined

“But the animals are gone.” Sonia noted.

“We’ll wait for the next batch.”

“Those are…cheetah?” A single one to be exact, towering over the carcass of the dead antelopes.

“Perfect. Oi, you stay out of this. This is between me and the half-pint.”

“Don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Shut up. Let’s go, Sonia. 3…2…1…”

Then… “We both missed?” What happened next struck Sonia with fear. The cheetah spotted them…was running towards their direction at breakneck speeds.

“Oi, I think its piiiised.” “Looks that way.” The boys observed what should have been a life-threatening incident in the making, with indifference.

 “Now then, it’s kind of fast. What should we do?” Abel asked.

“Carry on what you’ve been doing. Shoot it.”

“How!?” Sonia panicked

“Calm down. Just take aim.” Cain drew a pistol from his jacket, knelt besides her and placed his arms over her own, where he made her assume the proper shooting stance. “In a fight for survival, there are three important rules to follow.

“First. You must decide whether or not it is appropriate to obey a fight or flight response. Letting the adrenaline from panic rush over you might improve your chances at times. However, that only applies to scenarios you could solve with physical ability. On the battlefield, you’ll find that sort of reliance will get you killed for even a child armed with a gun could kill a body builder. Always retain your composure.”

Battlefield?  This was an inappropriate scenario for his roleplay habits, was it not? Sonia’s breath quickened as the sprinting animal drew closer. Yet Cain continued.

“Second. If your opponent is difficult to overcome, you must consider why, before planning your next phase of attack. The faster you react and adapt, the higher your chances of survival.”

“Third. If you feel there is no hope for victory, then retreat.”

“Now then, Nevermind. Are you powerless here?”

Sonia reflected on those words. She could feel his slow heartbeat, and gradually relegated her own to normal levels as she took deep breaths. The brothers showed no fear in the face of impending danger, so why should she?

She was the princess of Novoselic. She could not allow herself to be outdone quite so easily! It was embarrassing to think she’d be so easily rattled.

“I…am not powerless.”

She fired. The bullet flew and impacted the feline’s shoulder, sending it tripping to the side in an awkward fashion. However, it recovered in no time. The animal’s speed and dexterity had dropped, but it was no less enraged, and no less lethal.

Sonia gasped, once again falling to a panicked state. Just as the cheetah bridged a distance of exactly 12 meters, an explosion engulfed the predator. Sonia heard its pitiful cries as it slumped down. Even from where she stood, she could tell there would be nothing more than charred remains once the flames settled.

“What…. happened?” She breathed out and turned towards Abel. For a moment - and she meant as strongly as possible – for a fleeting moment, Sonia witnessed a crimson glow fading from the younger brother’s eyes. She blinked and his iris returned to their normal color.

_‘Was that…a hallucination?’_

“Looks like the trap worked. I planted a bomb there just in case one of those critters had any bad ideas. It was the same one I used on big bro the other day.” He chuckled.

“I…wish you had told me you’d taken insurance.” She supposed that explained their relaxed behavior. They were never in any danger in the first place.

“If not for your foresight…my failure may well have doomed us.”

“No way, you did great.” Abel praised.

“It was adequate, given you had all but 11 seconds to learn.” Cain added.

“Thank you.”

“Whelp let’s head home. What about you, Sonia?” Abel asked.

“I…shall go back home as well. This ordeal has left me a little tired.”

“To be expected.”

On the retreat to their respective homes, Sonia inquired upon a matter that reasonably bothered her. “Do either of you have hunting licenses?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Exams are over so I'll probably have more time to churn out more chapters. The next will be up the following week.


	19. Interlude III: Sonia Nevermind (2)

-October 13th 2006-

 

The day of celebration was at hand. Sonia dolled up in her finest white dress, adorned in diamonds and other fine gems. She was to look her very best for the ceremony that raking place inside the castle walls, where their esteemed guests would arrive from all around Novoselic or perhaps even abroad. Lucius Nevermind sat on the throne on the furthest end, while Sonia met and took the hands of all those who stepped forward to announce themselves. The father and daughter’s position symbolized the roles they would play this evening; she was to be at the forefront this evening.

The preparations aside, the actual event was something Sonia greatly looked forward to. Be you a commoner or a celebrity, to have so many waiting in line to celebrate your special day filled her with an indescribable feeling.

"You look great, Sonia." Said a blue-haired boy, roughly her age.

“You look dashing as well, Nagisa.” Sonia replied. The complement came from Nagisa Shingetsu, the scion of a wealthy Japanese family, and an acquaintance of several years. Although they had never met under less formal circumstances, Sonia thought of him favorably. She had no qualms giving him the honor of a dance at the event’s peak. Although, many would be clamoring for that opportunity as well.

It almost made Sonia forget the political agenda some of these nobles needed met. _Almost_ anyway…she wouldn't readily make herself available to suit their needs. The initial gathering lasted for about an hour before the guests began mingling with each other.  Sonia distanced herself from the crowd to catch a small breather, she wouldn't be allowed to leave the spotlight for long. All had made timely arrivals, for courtesy was yet another one of the attributes of aristocracy.

All save one.

“...Finally got the right door. What moron builds a castle this big? It's a miracle anything gets done." Sonia was close enough to the entrance to hear the grumbling of complaints.  A girl with golden hair tied into a thin, high-pony tail and physically no older than herself, stepped through the opened door. She wore a black tuxedo with a cross tie overtop a white vest. Sonia glanced from the side of the new arrival, whose eyes met her own; they were were colorful - yet dull - blue orbs that refused to reflect light.

"This'll be embarrassing if I've got the wrong person, but you _are_ Sonia Nevermind, correct?” 

"Yes I am. Are you here for the celebration?" Sonia answered.

"If you don't buy me being fashionably late, I've got an excuse ready." She was brimming with self-satisfaction.

Sonia smiled. "There is no need. I am glad you could make it Miss..."

"Whew, dodged a bullet there." The other girl muttered under her breath, then took a bow. "I'm Shinobu Togami, the representative of the Togami corporation. The pleasure is all mine, Princess Nevermind." 

Bouts of poorly hushed whispers emanated across the room at the utterance of the name. Turning her head slightly, Sonia counted a number of the guests staring at them, or to be precise Shinobu, with unease.

'The survivor.'  'The aberrant.' ‘The mage.’  All sorts of fatuous names were spoken aloud…though the target herself ignored them completely.

The Togamis...she had some faint knowledge on them. Her father mentioned them from time to time; a family of great repute, if she recalled. "Sonia is fine and I am grateful to have you here. It is not every day that I get to speak with a girl my age." Sonia greeted.

"Why?" Shinobu stared. "It's embarrassing to admit as a girl, but I totally fell for you at first sight. Maybe I should be your prince on a white horse."

Sonia flushed red slight from the candidness. "You exaggerate. You are not lacking in graces yourself." She returned the compliment

"I'm well aware but by comparison, I don't match. Permit me to be honest; I'm seething with envy on the inside."

“I…” Sonia stuttered, not able to find the words to counter.

Shinobu smiled impishly. "It was a joke. Please laugh or I really will get self-conscious."

Sonia stood silent a moment before a genuine giggle escaped her lips. She had recently come to know the joys of properly interacting with peers who treated her informally.

*Cough* Sonia’s head whipped to the side to see her father glowering at them.

"King Lucius, it's a pleasure to see you again. You get more handsome every time we meet. It's true that dandy is the new fad." Shinobu bowed.

“Our last meeting was little over a month ago. I doubt I could have changed much” He sighed. "I trust not to take your tardiness as an insult?"

Shinobu cocked her head to the side. "Only if I feel like you've done something worth the insult. Have you?" Her tone rang playfully.

Sonia nearly gasped. It was one thing to take up a casual tone with her, but a show of disrespect to her father was another matter entirely…Yet the man paid the snide remark no mind. Instead he moved onto another topic. "I was expecting the proper heir."

_‘Proper heir?’_

Shinobu’s lips thinned. "Last minute changes were made, and well...Byakuya couldn't make it."

"What could be more important than my daughter's birthday?" Lucius glared. It was a sensible indignation. One Sonia wondered if she should share. Though she could not bring herself to feel personal involvement with a woman she had never met, Sonia was _still_ royalty. Just like with Cain, if presented with what she felt was an offense to her dignity, she would not take it lightly.

For that reason, Shinobu’s awaited answer was nothing short of baffling. "It’s a school night. I made Byakuya stay home."

 _‘…Was that another joke?’_ Sonia earnestly thought. While education was universally important…this is an extreme case to use it as a defense.

"And you believe that is no insult to us?" The king raised his brow, whereas the Togami girl appeared confused by the question.

"Doesn’t that go without saying? Byakuya misses a day of class and he’ll have to make it up on spare time that could be used productively. He’ll never catch up for the rest of his life.” Shinobu raised her finger and took on an admonishing tone. “ _But_ I also see how poorly it would reflect the Togami corp, and we’re nothing if not about saving face. Sooo, I took it upon myself to hurry here as fast I could in my brother’s stead.” Shinobu’s reply was straight-laced…but her words did not very sound sensible at all. Her rationale was off, but even more than that…did she imply she came alone?

“I don’t see an escort. How did you arrive here?” Sonia inquired. In timely fashion, one of her father’s men interrupted the conversation to bring a disturbing bit of news. “Sir, half an hour ago, a foreign aircraft entered our airspace and landed on the helipad. Should we be on alert?”

“That’s mine. I did say I was in a hurry.” Shinobu raised her hand, with no regard for how many potential laws were breached. The three gazed at her with confounded expressions.

“…Leave it.” The king instructed the subordinate, who promptly departed. Shinobu watched him leave with a discerning eye.

“Don’t mean to pry, but that _is_ one of your men, correct?”

“Yes, he’s been my aid for decades.”

“You must place a lot of faith in him. Servants who have remained by you through the years are an invaluable treasure…Reminds me. I should pick up a souvenir for Aloysius.” She trailed off into her own thoughts, leaving the father and daughter pair to stew in confusion. Sonia couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something more to the girl’s words.

 “Now, there is an urgent matter I wish to speak with you of, King Lucius. It’s related to my presence here.” Shinobu said, turning serious.

“Sonia, excuse us.”

She nodded and distanced herself from the conversation.

Sonia’s first of impressions of Shinobu defied the concrete: A frivolous disposition, one the princess first thought to compare Shinobu to Abel, but ultimately dismissed it. The younger twin had no regard for appearances, whereas this person had the countenance of nobility. The Togami affiliate had a melodious voice, carrying an undertone of mischief and sarcasm. A smile - so permanently fixated onto her features - that Sonia wondered if it would ever waver, regardless of the circumstance.

If the party before the Togami’s arrival had been a hegemony of pale color, quite a colorful personality had slithered in.

While Sonia didn’t know of the origin behind the names Shinobu had been called, she couldn’t help but feel those words were not inaccurate.

 

\---

 

Sonia returned to the center of the room, conversing with the many groups that came her way, however the blonde’s attention drifted towards her most eccentric visitor, time and again. Most of the time, Shinobu stood by the corner alone, evading the public eye. Occasionally – much like right now – others approached her and, despite earlier gossip, the interactions appeared pleasant from a distance. A woman, least a decade older, in a black dress addressed Shinobu with a hearty smile, offering words of gratitude, not unlike the few that came before her.

“Excuse me.” Sonia approached the woman, who once left on her own, walked to the balcony, a lighter and cigarette in hand. “Sae Yozuru, was it?”

“Princess Sonia. You don’t mind, do you?” She pointed to the cigarette.

Sonia shook her head. “So long as it’s done outside, I do not think anyone will be bothered.”

“I’ll be sure to reserve this spot then.” She said in a sultry voice. “Now, how may I be of service?”

“If I may be so bold, I wish to know what your relationship is with the girl you spoke to earlier.”

“…Ah.” Sae inhaled the cigar and exhaled facing towards the outside of the castle. “I owe her a great debt as my benefactor. My late husband left the company was in dire straits some years ago. Little Shinobu sent me a life rope; a few loans here, advice there, and I was back in business.”

“A few years ago. Would she not have been a child at the time?” Or was Shinobu older than her appearance portrayed?

“I believe she is only a few months ahead of you. It’d be a funny joke otherwise… if there _was_ some spell that could keep her looking so young, then maybe I should quit my job and become her apprentice.” Sonia assumed the older woman was playing to the label of ‘magician’ she’d heard before. “Have you really never heard of her?” Sae continued.

“Pardon my ignorance.”

“Let’s not go that far. That knowledge’s more for the business world...Never thought I’d be saying _that_ a few years ago” She said bitterly. Sae did not seem like a very happy woman, despite her documented wealth. “If you’re fishing for information, I could tell you what I know.”

“I would be very pleased, and your assistance would not be forgotten.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear.” Sae accepted what was an unofficial business transaction. “Shinobu Togami is an odd girl, plain and simple.”

Sonia waited for an elaboration.

“She’s mostly harmless, as far as I know. But she’s also not playing with a full deck. You need a lot of patience to deal with her.”

“Do her feats warrant such praise?” Sonia made a thoughtful expression. There wasn’t much one could accomplish at that age.

“That depends on what you mean. Shinobu’s a helper for sure, but that’s not where the infamy comes from…Have you ever heard of the Togami succession ceremony?”

“I cannot say I have.”

Sae looked to the ceiling, a repulsed look crossed her features. “The heir of the family isn’t selected by age. It’s won in a free-for-all between siblings the moment the eldest reaches 25. The age of the youngest is irrelevant, even a toddler could be forced to participate.”

Sonia frowned at the implications “That is very unfair.”

“A sick joke, if you ask me, but I hear the point of the stipulation is that life itself is unfair. I believe Shinobu was around…10 when it ended; the odds were stacked against her as one of the weakest prospects.”

Prospects… “What were the rules of the contest?”

Sae bit her cigarette. “None. _‘Use whatever means you can to subdue the other siblings’_ – is the only rule, and there can be only one winner.”

“Any means? Then even…” The blond furrowed her brow…

“Yeah, kill the others if you want, as long as you win. Naturally, you can’t get caught. Anything is possible with money though, even keeping cops quiet.”

“I see, such an archaic custom is…intriguing, but I can’t imagine it would come to that. They are family after all.”

Sae slowly shook his head. “I wish you were right, but like I said, life isn’t fair. There were 16 siblings to start with. Only 2 are alive this very day.”

Sonia's brows creased, an audible gasp escaping her lips.

“I knew a few of them myself. Richard was the oldest and most expected to win; a good guy, a friend and had the best business sense you could find across the seven seas; I met him in university, and he introduced me to my husband. The second was Filia, an angel that one, both in looks and personality. Put her behind a piano and she could bring even the coldest man to tears. Pity what happened to them.”

“Shinobu…killed them?”

“Not quite. She lost too. The winner was Byakuya - the runt of the family - who nobody backed. Shows what they know since he topped them all. He undoubtedly killed Richard, you could take that to the bank.” The dark-haired beauty let out another sigh of regret.

“Could a child really have killed his siblings?”

“Your guess is as good as most, but some believe it69. In the history of the Togami family, the runt has never won. In fact, they’re always the first to drop out.”

That made sense. A child wouldn’t… _couldn’t_ be expected to win, much less participate. Sonia imagined they would surrender immediately. Naturally, the younger the age, the less experience and social connections. Winning was out of the question…unless they were exceptionally talented. A veritable genius.

“Byakuya was not a genius. I met the two myself years ago; they were cute things. He was skittish, but a hard-worker. I could tell the potential was there, but it would never be realized in time. Shinobu was much the same…if not _less_ talented. Then again, she barely said a word or reacted to much of anything. Now that I think about it…I met them together.”

Sonia didn’t think there was anything out of the ordinary with siblings staying in close proximity…but these circumstances were fairly extreme.

“It’s no secret to the children that they were rivals for the throne. Normally, they wouldn’t interact; can’t risk revealing secrets. These two were different. Most likely Filia’s doing. She doted on them like an older sister should.” Yet she was one of the fallen.

“I met Byakuya again, shortly after his victory. He was a completely different person. Cold, arrogant, and…very much a genius. A fitting personality for a high and mighty cog of corporate society” Sae rolled her eyes.

 “…I believe you said there could only be one victor. Why-”

“Is Shinobu still a Togami?” Sae cut her off, having expected the question. “Nobody knows. The tradition was overturned and she kept rights to the family. That little mystery she pulled off is her greatest magic trick.”

“It’s in poor taste to mock someone on the basis of survival.” Sonia scowled. At times adults could be more immature than toddlers.

“…The rumor is that Shinobu was responsible for the murder of her siblings. While the younger brother was a pawn...”

…

“Is there proof?” Sonia’s questioned.

Sae tossed her smoke out of the balcony, without care for where it landed. The older woman wore an indiscernible expression, not unlike the faces of the crowd when first glancing upon the Togami girl. “I can’t say what she made me do to keep my fortune, but there were sacrifices made that I did not think I was capable of…and I would never do it again. _Never_.”  Sae trembled. A dark shadow cast across her face. “If you asked me if Shinobu _could_ have killed them to become the heir, I’d say _yes_ in a heartbeat. If you asked did she…I’d call bullshit.” Within moments, another cigar was lit. This time, not for luxury, but a way to calm he nerves. “That girl doesn’t have a shred of ambition.”

“I do not know if many children are ambitious.” To the extent that they would orchestrate the demise of their family members to reach their goals anyway.

"That's not quite what I meant. That girl doesn't want _anything._ For all the help Shinobu offered, she could have snatch my fortune right from under me, but she asked for almost nothing in return. It might as well have been charity.” And in the business world, there was nothing that turned heads quite like unconditional generosity. "Instead of desiring anything for herself, she's like a wish-granting machine, only you get much more than what you bargained for. For example...the idea that Shinobu killed her siblings out of personal gain is far-fetched, _but_...If, on the chance, that someone like Byakuya had mustered the courage to say 'I want to win' to his sister...she could do it. I would not doubt it."

"You make her sound like a monkey's paw." 

Sae laughed “I don’t know the facts though, so feel free to take my words with a grain of salt. traditions that last hundreds of years are difficult to break and are followed almost fanatically. Heir or not, those two were children. From what I learned of the Togamis, deaths happen "but no more than 3 or perhaps 4 ever die. And that’s only in the case of close races. But 14? It was unthinkable. The family’s history dates back centuries. What could have been different this time?”

 “Thank you…you have been most helpful.” Sonia walked away. Her spirits had dampened somewhat because of the morose news, but what else was to blame, if not her persistent curiosity?

"Princess Sonia." Sae called, just before Sonia left. "I don't know why you asked me about Shinobu, but allow me a few words of friendly advice."

Sonia turned back to meet Sae Yozuru. The older woman suddenly seemed significantly older to the princess. A depressed woman drowning in her own self-loathing, her features marred with fatigue and eyes filled with regret. "Tread carefully if you intend to get involved with that girl, otherwise you'll be swallowed whole by your own wish." It was a premonition of a curse, a prophecy of the future to come.

Sonia nodded in understanding, then left.

“It is a rumor, no?” She said to herself. Nobody could prove anything, all they could do was speculate. Still, at least she understood the nature of their aversion. The reactions to Shinobu upon her arrival. They were of fear.

“Princess Sonia.” A man called, wearing the guard’s uniform. “It is almost time for the ballroom dance.”

Sonia looked at the clock, it was nearing 11 pm “So it is. Thank you for reminding me…” Hold on…what was his name? “Are you new?”

“Yes. His majesty hired me recently.”

“I see.”

Sonia followed him.

\---

 

“Aren’t you making a big deal out of this?”

“Aren’t you a woman? To dance with the princess yourself is inappropriate.”

Shinobu and Nagusa stood off against each other. Both entering into an argument of who would receive the honor of Sonia’s first dance. This wasn’t particularly unheard of and similar skirmishes occurred a few times in the past. As proof of that, the adults watched over the argument with amusement and anticipation. This was not simply a child’s scuffle, but a proxy war of familial influence. Usually the “competitors” ended with one shoving their parents’ superior wealth and status in the other’s face. It was a simple game decided by an equally simple measuring stick. The loser’s family would be shamed, so in cases of overwhelming differences in class, few would rise to the challenge. Nagisa family was among the wealthiest she knew and he’d already won the most times…

However, this time was a little different.

“Hey, isn’t that gender discrimination?” The bewildered Togami said.

“I’ve heard about you, Togami. I’m not backing down to a figurehead.” Nagisa seethed.

“Why would I argue against you using assets I didn’t earn? My own merits should suffice.” Therein was the problem. Shinobu was not abiding by the “rules”.

“Enough.” King Lucius’ voice boomed from the throne. “This is an auspicious occasion. One I don’t wish to taint with fighting.”

“Then…why don’t we make a game of it? This is a celebration, after all.”

“What do you propose?” Nagisa narrowed his eyes.

“We both get a dance. Whichever combination the crowd is most pleased with will be the winner.”

“…Deal.”

Shinobu clapped her hands. “Great. If possible, I’d like to dance with you as well. Cute boys with a transparent jealousy streak like yourself are adorable.”

Nagisa flushed, a red tint on his cheeks contrasting his blue hair. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I got shot down.” Shinobu frowned.

“Who will go first?”  The king asked

“I’m used to being second.” Shinobu’s gesture was innocuous…to anyone unaware of her circumstances. For those who did (much like Sonia currently) …it was nothing short of menacing. What did Abel call these? A dark joke?

 

\---

 

Sonia took Nagisa’s hand in the first dance. The floor being left bare for the two of them. The blonde glanced around the room, and found Shinobu staring off to the side, looking away from the dance.

“Sorry.” Nagisa apologized out of the blue, drawing her attention back to him.

“For what?” Sonia said, matching his pace.

“Making a scene like that. I know it must be embarrassing…and I don’t think of you like a trophy or anything.”

Sonia giggled. “I know that wasn’t your intention. It can’t be helped, tradition is hard to break.”

 _‘That wasn’t to say I am accepting of it’_ – Sonia thought bitterly. The pains of being born into royalty ran deep.

“Another reason is…I didn’t want her near you. I don’t know if you’ve heard rumors but she’s dangerous.”

“Is that so?” Sonia feigned ignorance. “If she is, I doubt she would try anything in the middle of all these people.”

“That’s true…”

“Shouldn’t that have been obvious?”

He pouted. “I’ve also heard she’s a huge womanizer.”

And there was the real reason. If Shinobu was right about one thing… it was that jealousy could be a very charming point.

As the music switched to a softer note, Sonia slipped one hand onto the Nagisa’s shoulder and another onto his chest, gently turning the two around as to not disrupt the rhythm. She trusted he wouldn’t fumble over the simple action and smiled when he lived up to her expectations. Afterwards, he resumed the lead, guiding Sonia.

It helped that past experience had taught them both how to anticipate the other’s movements. By that advantage alone, Sonia was sure Nagisa would prevail over his rival. It was evident that he’d practiced as much as she. Their dynamic wasn’t only organic, but their steps didn’t tangle once in spite the intimacy of the dance. The warmth and closeness were something she tried keeping out of mind, lest she accidentally remember they were in a room full of people watching them. Either way, she savored their time together, before the song hit its final note.

Resounding applause met them as they separated from one another. A sense of achievement welling up in both of their chests. Regardless of who won, that was definitely fun.

“That was incredible.” Shinobu stepped towards them, clapping all the while.

“You’ll admit defeat.” Nagisa smirked, slightly out of breath.

“Nothing like that, but I’ll admit you put on an excellent show, with the way you exercised your talents to their utmost. I feel nothing but admiration towards those that give their best…however-” She stressed, eyes overflowing with amusement. “-that is all.”

“What are you talking about?” The boy scrunched his face in confusion.

“See for yourself. Are you ready, Sonia? I will need you at your best.”

“Of course. A single dance isn’t enough to exhaust me.” At the time, Sonia failed to recognize that those words had only served to prove Togami’s point.

Nagisa moved back to the crowd and observed them with crossed arms.

Shinobu intertwined her fingers with Sonia’s and slid her other arm onto Sonia’s back and reeled her in closely. The sudden contact and closeness made Sonia blush. It was an odd thing to say about another woman, Sonia did not embellish the truth in her earlier assessment – Shinobu was breathtakingly beautiful. Perhaps it was because of Sonia scanning Shinobu’s features, that she didn’t fail to notice the suited girl’s eyes looking towards the crowd at times, while as they glided through the dance floor.

She was aggressive, much more than Nagisa. Thankfully, not so intense that Sonia couldn’t easily follow her movements.

It was an exhilarating experience, but Shinobu would never win like this. As if the eccentric had read the princess’ mind, she turned the tables immediately after that thought. “That was fun. You can take the lead now.” Shinobu chirped.

“E-Excuse me?” The surprise almost made Sonia come to a halt. Lead? Sonia had practiced dominant roles before, but that was merely formality. She would never be the one to take charge during the actual dance. Her instructor would faint!

“You lead, and I’ll support you. Don’t worry, be as fast and aggressive as you want. I’ll match you.”

Was she in her right mind? This was their very first time as dance partners, they knew nothing of each other’s mannerisms or patterns. How could she keep up?

“Aren’t you the future queen?” The conceit in her voice was unmistakable “I don’t have very high hopes for this country’s future if their next ruler is submissive enough to let an outsider walk into their home and dominate them.” If her words were not enough, that arrogant smirk on the Togami’s lips would suffice to provoke anyone.

Sonia’s heels loudly clacked as they made contact with the floor. She gazed at Shinobu with eyes cold as steel, yet her heart burned with ferocity matching that of her first meeting with Cain.

“That is an overwhelming degree of confidence. I trust you won’t disappoint me?” Nevermind returned Togami’s with all of her dignity. This was no longer a contest between Nagisa and Shinobu, if it ever was. The victor would be Sonia herself. She would see to that.

“There’s nothing wrong with confidence, when you can back it up.” Shinobu relaxed her grip on Sonia, giving the latter the signal to initiate her own pace. Sonia reversed their positions, their bodies swayed intimately. Sonia’s waltz had powerful steps and a hint of harshness to them.

She tuned out the many gasps from the crowd. They weren’t important right now – All that mattered at this moment was subduing her all-too- _confident_ partner. If Shinobu embarrassed herself, then that was her own doing. However, it appears the other blonde wasn’t one to be outdone. So far, she was keeping her word. Shinobu was smug, unperturbed by the increasingly fast pace.  Even the song changed on the fly to match the new tempo.

Shinobu’s steps were smooth and her elegant strides synched with Sonia’s, but in a very different way from her dance with the boy. Here, there was no unison. Instead the girls were elevating each other to new levels. Sonia wasn’t just basking in the warmth of her partner but emanating her own at an even greater intensity.

From afar, the two could have been mistaken for sisters, one adorned in white and the other veiled in black. It was an elegant yet passionate display. One that left all who gazed speechless in awe, even several moments after the dance finally ended. In fact, only a few particular guests retained their composure; including the king and Sae Yozuru. It wasn’t because the dance had left them unimpressed, but rather they knew right from the start that it would end up this way.

Thunder in the form of applause filled the room as the inhabitants slowly recovered from their stupefaction. Some even forgot themselves and sang praises for the Nevermind princess, who had completely stolen the show and captured their hearts.

Sonia bowed. Both out of gratitude for their applause and because her body felt like it would give out. Not even Cain’s ruthless training had left her this fatigued despite lasting hours longer. She checked to see how the other girl fared. Though Shinobu stood, beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

“Good thing the song ended when it did. I almost lost balance.” She breathed out.

“My…apologies.” Sonia said, catching her breath. She wasn’t sure what came over her, but she clearly went too far.

“No problem. I asked for it after all.” The blonde flipped a strand of hair. To Sonia, it seemed like a way to distract Shinobu’s heavy breaths. “Even though I’ve taken dance lessons since childhood, I still hit my limit. I guess this is what it means to have genuine talent. Excuse me for a bit.” The billionaire moved away from Sonia without waiting for a response, leaving the girl in question puzzled, before she was flooded by admiring guests.

…

“It’s my loss.” Nagisa scowled from where he stood “I never knew Sonia could dance like that.”

“Do you know why you lost, boy?” Sae stood near him.

Nagisa boy shook his head.

 “It’s no lie that you’ve got moves…but isn’t our little princess the star of this play?” Sae flipped her hair “You might have forgotten…or maybe you’re too young to realize, but the two of you are just props. Shinobu knew that, played to the crowd and made the star they wished to see, shine as brightly as it could. Even if it meant Shinobu herself be nothing more than a footnote in the act.”

Indeed. The crowd’s focus had been almost entirely on Sonia, himself included. He didn't even know where her dancer partner fled to. It was a defeat on the most fundamental level. Even if both performed on an equal level, Shinobu would still have been the victor because she emphasized the Novoselic royal; the one everyone desired to appraise from the very start.

 

\---

“Not much of a cake eater, but I think I’d regret passing up this time.” Shinobu said, standing with Sonia in front of a mountainous pastry.

“Yes, we had the best chefs in Novoselic attend to it.”

 “Don’t mind if I help myself.” And she did, cutting a slice with a large knife and taking a bite. “Delicious. I should share with your boyfriend. Now where’d he go? Not sulking, I hope.” Her head swayed in all directions, searching for the blue-haired boy. Their dance took place half-an hour ago, and the clock was nearing 12.

“Huh?” Boyfriend. Where would she get such an odd idea? “I’m not permitted to be in a relationship.”

“Oh? Your dad forbade it?”

“Not _explicitly_ , but it is common sense.”

That mention of ‘common sense’ did not appear to impress the humming Togami. “Hm? A princess before a girl, is it? Which was the one I had the pleasure of dancing with earlier I wonder.”

Sonia felt like she was read like an open-book. "What of you?" She bashfully changed the subject.

"I have a lot of freedom in my life. My father doesn’t care about me, nobody does really."

Sonia blinked at the mood killer, though Shinobu did not appear to feel awkward at all "I can’t believe a father wouldn’t be proud to be blessed with a talented daughter. Even I am not equipped to pilot a helicopter."

"If I were actually talented, I wouldn't have been late to the party." Shinobu refused to accept the compliment. “Your impressions’ a little off, I’m not a genius. My family has this really unfair competition between siblings. I’m the second youngest so if I didn’t accumulate an assortment of skills as quickly as possible, I’d have been left behind.”

That was in line with Sae’s information. Sonia’s upbringing was far from ordinary either, but she never once felt she’d been unduly treated.

Shinobu continued. “Byakuya’s the one with real talent; I took my eyes off him for a little while, when on vacation with my oldest brother. By the time I saw Byakuya again, he’d already learned how to work the stock market.” She laughed, speaking of her family fondly. Had Sonia remained ignorant to Shinobu’s upbringing, she would have interpreted the other girl’s words as a trivial game amongst brothers and sisters.

Sonia’s train of thought was disrupted by a finger sliding off her cheek.

“You had frosting on the side.” Shinobu said, before stuffing the cream in her mouth.

Womanizer, was it? "You are…surprisingly manly."

"…Now listen here..." Her voice fell dangerously low.

"No no. I-I meant that you are behave dashingly, male-like."

"Fair enough…I think." Shinobu muttered

“I did not mean to offend.”

The older blonde giggled. “You didn’t…This is fun, it was a good break for me, after all.”

“You are very busy?”

“Dad’s health hasn’t been the best, lately. I’ve had to manage the company. in his absence. I’m been doing it for over a year now and I want it to be over already.” Shinobu sighed. “Though some would say I’ve been running the family for longer…”

“Then I too am happy to be of service.”

“Thank you.” Shinobu smiled solemnly. Upon, catching the saddened, tired expression, Sonia decided to put any negative thoughts about the girl behind her. Rumors were often exaggerated, the more sensational the topic was. Both girls lived in similar circumstances, but Shinobu was more experienced in the ways of the world. That fact brewed admiration in the princess’ heart.

Shinobu’s gazed moved past Sonia’s, eyebrows ticking upwards. “…Miss Sonia, may I borrow the knife?”

“Please do, it’s right behind you.” Sonia answered, presuming Togami planned on eating more cake. Being the inquisitive girl, she was, her eyes were drawn to the direction Shinobu peered to earlier. Her father was in line of sight, surrounded by guests. The time was a minute before 12 am.

“Huh?” She stumbled onto a peculiar sight. It was that new recruit among the guards, his movements were eerily anxious, particularly around the area of his arm….!

Sonia’s eyes widened, a gun laid in the man’s hand and it was poised at her father, whose back was turned. Nobody else was aware.

Sonia motioned to scream as the man reached for the trigger. However, before either took place, a large kitchen knife shot through the air like an arrow, narrowly missing the blonde's face. A sickening squelch was heard next as the knife lodged itself into the back of the man’s skull. He fell to the floor gracelessly.

Sonia turned back to see Shinobu’s arm outstretched, a blank expression on her face. “We should get out now.” Her action signaled the start of the Chaos that would descend that night; other ‘guards’ raised their guns against one another. Sonia recognized some, and completely failed to deduce others.

 _"Yes. His majesty hired me recently.” –_ It was an utter lie. One that she had foolishly believed. Her father would never hire new help on such notice.

“Princess, I advise we leave.” Shinobu tugged Sonia’s arm, prompting her to follow as they crawled out of the room, leaving through an open door away from the anarchy and gunfire.

 

\---

 

“Where are we going?” Sonia asked, sticking to the walls as they snuck around.

“Someplace to hide. I was hoping you’d give directions.” Shinobu answered from the front.

“What about my father and the guests?”

“You’re a lot more useful with me than staying there, and things should quiet down faster. On another note…I don’t recall inviting you.” Togami looked back to meet Nagisa on the rear.

“Like I could leave Sonia in danger.” The boy glared.

“She won’t be, I’m here.” Shinobu replied.

“Who do you think I meant?” He snarled lowly. “You’re the one who started that mess by k-killing that guy.” He stuttered

“Shinobu saved my father. That man was going to attack him.” Sonia interfered.

“And how did she know that? Nobody else was able to act but her.” Nagisa argued.

“I sense a severe lack of faith.” The accused said, sarcastically.

“How can you joke around at a time like this?” Nagisa raised his eyebrow.

“This isn’t my first rodeo. If anything, I think the two of you are blindingly intense and it’s starting to affect me too. Calm down a little.”

“Our lives are in danger! How could we be calm!?”

The blonde cocked her head. “You’ll be fine. So long as I’m here, neither of you are going to die, so _relax_. No point in getting excited at a time like this.”

Nagisa backed off at the remark. There was an assurance imbued in those words that they couldn’t deny, nor would they want to.

Shinobu nodded, pleased at their compliance. “At least you’re asking the right questions. Yes, I did know there were rebels there.”

 _‘Rebels.’_ Sonia thought as much, this served to confirm those suspicions.

“These belligerents aren’t worth much in the end, really. It’s a numbers game. The palace guards outnumber them 5:1 in total. There’s twice as many in the hall alone. If you’d stayed, they might have used you as leverage. That’s why I needed to get you out.” Shinobu addressed Sonia.

“That’s the strangest thing you’ve said yet, how would you be able to count how many there were?” Nagisa gripped Sonia’s arm, pulling her further away from the older girl.

 “Remember how I arrived a little late? There was actually nobody there to meet me when I entered the castle. I thought that was a bit off so I did some snooping.”

“You…prowled inside my home?” Sonia commented on the uncomfortable remark. “Why not just come straight to the party and ask my father?”

Shinobu stopped walking, giving no reply.

“…I remember you saying something along the lines of finally getting the right door, when you arrived. Would that be the reason?” Sonia realized.

“Right door?” Nagisa parroted, then settled on a mocking grin. “You got lost? Lame, even a kid could find their way through this place.”

“…I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation.” Shinobu answered, more monotonously than usual.

“…I suppose the castle is rather large.” Sonia said apologetically.

 “If you say so.” The amused boy added.

“Where was I…right. I happened to stumble onto the bodies, stripped of their clothing in a washroom while I was looking for the- never mind.” A bit late for that. “I had an idea of what was going after that and counted them. First thing I did was draw your father’s attention and inform him.” That explained their earlier talk.

“Why didn’t the king say anything?” Nagisa inquired.

“We weighed the benefits and the costs. At the time, we didn’t know how many infiltrators there were or what they wanted. Couldn’t risk it. Of course, we couldn’t allow anyone to leave either, or that would draw suspicion.”

“Then what _did_ you do instead of lying around until the literal last minute?”

 “I was given a list containing the faces of the guards that should have been in the hall. All I needed to do was count off the men that weren’t on that list. Those would be the rebels.”

“And you did not give yourself away?” Sonia entered the conversation. These men should have been alert enough to notice someone counting them off.

“No way. I did It in plain sight. When we were dancing, that gave me the perfect vantage point to scope out the entire room. Afterwards, I gave your father an estimation that coincided with the body count and it was enough that we could overpower them. Rebels tend to be on the weaker side, glad to see this situation was no different.”

“During the dance? Is that why you were so stubborn back then?” The blue-haired boy’s eyes widened. That she’d used the opportunity for strategic purposes on top of beating him was nothing short of humiliating.

“I don’t like the way you phrased that that.  if anyone is stubborn, I’d say it was you. So stubborn that King Lucius had to step in and salvage the situation.” She sent the boy a teasing smirk.

“You and my father have been collaborating quite a bit.” That left Sonia feeling inadequate; she was completely uninformed of the situation, yet her father was more trusting of a relative stranger.

If Shinobu picked up on her feelings, she didn’t show it. Not like any of her emotions slipped through that mask of unassailable affability. “I told the king that I’d be your bodyguard if things went south, and he left It all to me. Now we’re caught up.”

“I hate to admit it, but you’re fairly capable.” Nagisa pouted.

“I only made the best out of an already terrible situation…About that hiding spot. Preferably somewhere with weapons stored. Knives are cool and all, but if I’m in front of a gun, I’ll die before using one.” Shinobu twirled the knife in hand.

“There is the armory, but it is locked.” Sonia replied.

“Even if it wasn’t, we shouldn’t go near there. If anyone with a functioning brain planned this operation, then the first placed they’d secure is the where the artillery is located. Any other ideas?” Nagisa said.

“My room. I have a pistol in my drawer.” Sonia said.

“Might be dangerous, but it’s worth a shot.”

…

The odd trio reached the corner leading to the princess’ chambers but stopped just short of it due to an expected obstacle. “Like I thought, it’s guarded. They must have really done their homework. Any ideas on how to get him to leave?” Shinobu turned back to the two.

“I could act as a distraction.” Sonia proposed after a time.

““Out of the question.”” The other two said, simultaneously, shutting her down.

“…I wouldn’t want to risk losing the Queen.” Shinobu said.

“I am not a queen yet.”

“It’s a figure of speech…chess.”  Nagisa shook her head, whispering so they wouldn’t be heard. “He’d probably call in backup before doing anything and that’s the last thing we need.”

“A distraction may not be a bad idea after all." Shinobu observed the boy with a calculating gaze. "Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be equipped with an assault rifle.”

“Is that a big deal?” Nagisa asked. Sonia took it upon herself to reply.

“Well yes, that is why I suggested it. With a handgun, the number of rounds that can be fired consecutively is significantly more manageable for us than against assault rifle.”

Shinobu added onto her explanation. “So, let’s divvy up the roles. Only 2 of us are necessary. One to dash towards and stab him with this knife, and the other to act as a distraction. His attention will be split between both, creating an opening…but I shouldn’t have to say which of us will be in greater danger.” The one moving for the kill will be seen as the greater priority, and we don’t have ranged weapons. This was a reckless strategy.

“Would it not be safer to abandon the gun and leave?”

“At this rate, we will run into the enemy eventually. Without any means to defend ourselves, we’re finished.” Shinobu countered “Naturally. I am the oldest, and also the only one with experience with killing a man. I do not believe either of you are currently up to the task.”

“We’re not dead weight. I could take him out, no problem.” Nagisa boasted

“Earlier, you had problems just uttering the word ‘kill’. Sorry if I’m skeptical.” The oldest said. “Though, you _are_ correct that I’m exaggerating. Truth, be told. I have only ever killed 2 men in my life. The second just happened to be a few minutes ago.”

“ _That_ was the second time?” He said in disbelief.

“A shameful chapter in the comedy that is my life, but yeah I’ve killed before, and I can’t necessarily say it was in a self-defense. Poor guy was just doing what he was paid to, but unfortunately, I wasn't in the right state of mind. I regret it now. ”

Sonia wondered if Shinobu understood what Nagisa had really meant, or if she intentionally skirted around it. The first shock was that she indirectly denied the rumors of her orchestrating the deaths of her siblings. Next, being how decisively she executed the rebel, despite it _only_ being the second time.

“I’ll charge first while I’ll need someone to grab his attention. Do a decent job, okay?” Shinobu volunteered.

“No, I believe that task should be left to me.” Sonia argued. “There is no guarantee that the one at back is safe. Depending on how inexperienced that man is, or if the shock clouded his judgement, he may well may make the ‘wrong’ choice and foil our plan. Instead, if I am the one attacking, he is more likely to hesitate. They must have already memorized appearance, and I am the prize they seek.”

 “Are you crazy!? You shouldn’t be putting yourself at risk at all. It should be me or her.” Nagisa hissed.

“I am not accepting no for an answer. This is my decision and it will not be overturned.”

Togami placed a finger to her lips, her deep blue eyes danced with an indescribable emotion. “Theoretically, I can’t argue it’s not our best bet. But _can_ you do it? Could you really kill that man?”

“I will not shame myself.” Sonia burned with resolve.

“Very well. Then I’ll-“

“I’ll be the distraction.” Nagisa overtook the eccentric. “That’s my condition.”

Togami rubbed her temples. “Can’t say this is how I expected things to go down, but I doubt either of you will listen to me at this point.”

After an unpleasant bout of deliberation, the trio settled on a compromise. The princess peered out of the corner, observing the man whose guard had yet to relax. By that account alone, he appeared a disciplined soldier. Nevertheless, she would prove his better.

“I’m ready.” Sonia said.

“Me too.” Nagisa followed.

There was no point employing stealth here. Sonia speared ahead as fast and nimbly as she could, knife poised at his heart. She wouldn’t give him the chance to retaliate.

Unfortunately, the sounds of her footsteps reached his ears before she got within striking distance. “Hey you-!”  Shock lasted only a second before the shimmer of the knife’s blade dawned on the soldier’s eyes, prompting him to point his gun at Sonia. Her mind froze over with terror...and her body with it.

“Over here, dumbass!” Nagisa yelled at the top of his lungs as he threw what looked to be his shoe. The barrel slightly lifted upwards, away from Sonia and to the boy. It was a bodily reflex that sealed the soldier’s fate…but not before he fired a single shot.

Sonia’s knife pierced deep into his flesh, and the bullet… “Gah!” A loud grunt and the distinct noise of a body falling to the floor. Sonia twisted the knife and pulled it out, leaving the soldier to crumple onto the ground, a pool of blood forming around him.

Sonia slowly turned around to see Shinobu leaning over a fallen Nagisa, in an eerily similar state as the man she just…killed. Sonia rushed over in a panic.

“He’s been hit in the lower abdomen.” Shinobu said, applying pressure on Nagisa’s side, her gloves stained with blood.

Sonia’s breath quickened. “What do we do?” She had no medical expertise, and they could hardly find a adoctor at this time.

“…Someone likely heard the gunshot. We can’t move him too far or his chances of survival plummet to the ground. We stay and…I feel that’s self-explanatory, really.” Her tone became steadily robotic, each word lacking more emotion than the next.

“What…are you suggesting?”

Shinobu looked Sonia in the eye. “Make a choice. Do we abandon him to die and run, or stay and be sitting ducks for the enemy? Both might amount to the same thing in the end though.”

“I am not leaving my friend.” It wasn’t a matter to be contended.

The elder Togami sibling shook her head, a disappointed grimace on her features, as if condemning Sonia for her lack of foresight. “Calm down…and consider who has the right to make this decision. Is it Sonia Nevermind, the princess of Novoselic or the 14-year-old girl standing in front of me?”

A nauseating sensation fell on Sonia, like her ‘self’ was forcibly being ripped open by the other girl. She’d felt it before – that this person saw right through her, as if she were no more than an open page to be read.

“It’s too bad if he dies like this, however…he's not important to your rule. You are part of Novoselic’s dynasty of monarchs; a concept that scarcely exists anywhere else in the world. Your only duty is to your kingdom, and that involves taking every step you can to survive. If you are captured by these men, your family will crumble, and the future of your people will be uncertain. Or do you mean they are worth sacrificing for your one _insignificant_ boy?”

A loud smack rang in the hallway. Shinobu’s head flung to the side from the impact of Sonia’s slap; the latter’s frustrations had finally reached their boiling point. She’d had enough of this girl’s insolence.

“You have no right to speak to me that way. You think I’m don’t know that!?” Sonia snapped. “ If I would abandon a single boy that risked his life for me, then I never deserved to lead in the first place.” She glanced at Nagisa’s form; the boy breathed heavily; a sign that he still lived. “Your family may be influential in the international space, but right here, right now, the only authority is myself. The moment you stepped foot onto Novoselic territory, you came under my jurisdiction, the same as all the other guests. Know your place!”

“That is your answer then?” Shinobu placed her hand on the reddened cheek. An unintentional action, as she darkened it an even deeper red seeing that hand was previously used to stop the blood flow. It was a menacing sight and Sonia would be lying if she claimed to not have felt a tinge of fear towards the other girl, who emanated an eerie calmness. However, she remained steadfast in her resolve. “You are free to run for your life if you wish, but I won’t. for going back on your word or did I mishear when you claimed that none of us would perish? How sad to see the Togami name is worth so little.” It was a petty provocation, but Sonia knew she couldn’t save Nagisa on her own. She needed Shinobu to bite the bait.

“You have a point. I can’t exactly embarrass the family name. Okay, I’ll take a look at him.” And she did, to Sonia’s surprise. That monotone intonation reverted back to it's usual cheer. The two slowly carried Nagisa to the princess’ chambers. Shinobu confiscated the dead soldier’s handgun and locked the door behind them.

 

\---

For several minutes, Sonia stood near her drawer on the other side of the room, watching  Shinobu's back operated on Nagisa. The boy laid on her bed, having lost consciousness some time ago. Shinobu sang a lullaby, while using tools in the room for improvisation. Sections of her suit were torn off to be used as wrapping.

“Can he be saved?” Sonia asked after a lengthy period of silence.

Togami stopped singing to respond to Sonia. “If there’s an infection, the hospital will have to take care of it. We’re lucky he wasn’t hit in any lethal areas, but you never know with gun wounds… there we go.” She pulled out a bronze bullet casing. “Now to sterilize the bleeding.”

“You removed…the bullet?” Sonia blinked rapidly, then flew into a frenzy “I was under the impression you were to stop the bleeding. Why did you not leave that to a surgeon!?” The sheer number of complications that could have been caused were baffling.

Shinobu stopped for a moment, back still facing the princess. “I _am_ a surgeon.”

“…”

“That was a joke!” The eccentric laughed. “…I only have the qualifications of one. Medical school curriculum was a breeze, and I’m glad to see it came in handy.” That was no less reasonable – Sonia wanted to say.

Shinobu wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving Nagisa's side. “All we can do is wait now.”

Sonia approached the sleeping Nagisa and found his breathing was steady. She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Togami evaded Sonia's gaze. in fact, Sonia still couldn't see her face from the angle she stood.

“Not at all. You have been invaluable help…and I would like to apologize for my earlier rashness. I might have gotten too steamy under the collar.” Sonia acknowledged that she’d gone overboard. No matter how enraged she became, hurting another was unbecoming.

Shinobu finally turned to face her and laughed. “You should never apologize for doing the right thing. Honestly, I’m surprised you lose patience with me sooner. It might actually be a record.”

“…How do you manage to be indifferent to all of this?” Sonia voiced a concern that had plagued her since meeting the other blonde.

“I don’t think indifference applies here. if I was the type not to care about anything, I'd be a much happier person.”

“You are a pessimist?” Sonia asked.

“I prefer objectivist. Staying calm and rational is generally the most expedient way to tackle a host of problems. This rebellion I’ve gotten myself caught up in is nothing new.”

“It is a tiresome experience for myself as well, but I do not believe I could handle it quite like you.” Sonia admitted. “And my father trusts you as well. I am envious.”

“…You’d look a dying man in the face and tell them you’re jealous?”

“I beg your pardon?” Sonia could not even begin to trace the relevance of Shinobu’s response, but there was something in her tone that differed from all the others.

“It’s a metaphor…I couldn’t help but feel I was being mocked.”

 _‘Was she..._ _angry?’ –_ If so, the Togami did a poor job of showing it.

“That boy over there is your friend, yes?”

Sonia nodded.

“Then I’m envious of you as well…because that’s one more friend that I’ve got.”

Sonia was left in silence. There was no proper way to respond to that.

 “Really?” It wasn’t hard to picture that. Her personality was a complete mystery and her background did not help.

“You might not know this...or you do are are just humoring me, but I have a wicked reputation. In my opinion, most of the rumors around me are exaggerated. However,  if there is one that stands out as truth…it’d be that I’m quite sick in the head.” A self-deprecating snicker left her lips.

“That is not something you should say about yourself.” Sonia replied.

“I’m being objective. I don’t have a filter when speaking and lack the tact for appropriacy. I don’t mince words, I dislike lies but I also very manipulative. I only say what I want to say…and that alienates people…There are other reasons, but my verbosity is usually what kills first impressions.” She shrugged as if it was someone else’s problem; a direct contrast from what her words conveyed. “But I’m not the sort to change myself. I can only say that I was a lost cause from the start.”

An awkward pause filled the room, before Sonia chose to break it. “While I do believe falsehoods are at times necessary at engaging others...I could never _dislike_ an honest person.” For example, misinforming the public of scandals or threats before they cause widespread panic and worsen the situation. “What I am trying to say is…I would not be averse to becoming your friend.”

Another silence, briefer than the last passed over. “…Did you hear a word I just said or were you a masochist all along?” Shinobu said, a puzzled look on her features.

“Though your words may prick the skin at times, I have yet to sense any ill-will from you.” Sonia pursed her lips “Instead, that may very well be the reason I am interested in you. I would much prefer an honest companion than ones who do nothing but flatter me all day.” Not to sound ungrateful, but excess worship was a trait Sonia found undesirable. It made her ears bleed.

Shinobu stared at the princess, as if her piercing eyes threatening to expose any lies or pretenses. Only relenting when she found none. “Your funeral…fine, If that’s what you want.”  

Sonia took Shinobu’s outstretched hand and shook as a gesture of friendship.

 “And Sonia?”

“Yes?”

“The saying is _‘hot under the collar’._ ”

“Right. Thank you very much.”

They giggled. That moment of peace was interrupted by harsh knocking on the door.

“Sonia, don’t stand in the door’s path.”

“But I cannot shoot from anywhere else.” She’d managed to procure the gun from her drawer, whereas Shinobu had her own. With the two of them, they might be able to overpower the enemy.

“ _Don’t shoot at all_. I heard several voices. You fire and they would retaliate before realizing who you were. Assuming they’re generous enough to let you live either way. Don’t forget that soldier you _killed_ tried to shoot you.” Togami positioned herself away from the bed and sat by the wall.

“You sound like you speak from experience?” Sonia furrowed her brow.

“…You should always know your enemy before attacking. Hide your gun somewhere close and sit by the bed.”

The door broke down the next second as four armed men strode in, with rifles pointed everywhere.

“We found her!”

Sonia bit back a scathing remark and satisfied herself with a dignified presentation. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Princess Sonia. This is an uprising.” They weren’t making it easy by constantly pointing out the obvious.

“That much is apparent, you do not truly believe you can succeed, We outnumber your forces by over 5 times.”

“I’m surprised you know of that. Do we have a spy?” The man she designated as the captain of these band of barbarians, muttered to himself. “No, you would have been much better prepared if you did…No matter. Come with us. Struggle and we have orders to shoot.”

Shinobu’s assumptions were correct. If she had fired form behind the door then she would already be dead.

 “What about this one?” One pointed to Shinobu “I’ve seen her before.”

“She was the princess’ dance partner and the late arrival. Think she’s a member of the Togami family.”

“Those rich punks? Should we kill her?”

 “…If you killed me, they’d retaliate and you wouldn’t even have the time to consolidate your power, even if you succeeded here.” Shinobu wore a provoking smile.

“Captain?”

“…We don’t need that kind of baggage right now. Take her hostage, and we’ll figure out what to do about her later.”

“That works even less in your favor; the corporation wouldn’t respond to me being taken hostage and would just consider it my blunder. The Togami family cares a great deal about impressions so only _killing_ me would warrant the appropriate response. I don’t advocate taking me hostage, since I’d just undermine you every step of the way. Logically, your best choice is to execute me right here and deal with the fall out as best you can. You wouldn't succeed, but it's your best option.”

“I will not allow that!” Sonia’s voice rose, she had pieced together from the earlier conversation with Shinobu, that the latter – despite her talents – had not led a fulfilled life, but her actions here were suicidal.

“I remember…” The man furthest to the left glared at Shinobu, his voice oozing venom. “She’s the one who kill Boris.”

 “You’ll need to be more specific. Is Boris the one I killed right at the start of this afterparty…or the one napping outside?” Shinobu didn’t even flinch at the raw hatred directed towards her…and chose to fan the flames further.

“You bitch.” The man cursed. “Permission to execute her, Captain.”

“Wait, it could be a trap.” The one referred to had reason to be cautious. No sane individual – man, woman or child – would sport a bemused smile like that mere moments before their abrupt execution.  Not unless they had countermeasures. For noticing that, he ought to be praised. Sonia once wondered if there could ever be a circumstance where Shinobu’s smile could waver, and it would appear the answer was inching closer to a resounding ‘no.’ “What are you scheming, girl?”

“Scheming is an ugly word, but I confess to it. Truthfully, there is a knife hidden in my sleeves and I plan to kill at least one of you in the exchange.” A knife slithered into her palm.

“Drop it!”

Shinobu showed not a hint of fear.  “I don’t think I will. You’ve already professed to wanting me dead, I have nothing to lose. One of you, on the other hand, will certainly lose their lives. Stupid men, guns were made because they had an advantage with distance; even a boxer would disable you from this range.  Oh- you on the left, don’t even try it.”

The addressed man grunted in shock, betraying his intentions.

“Right then, the thought crossed your mind to shoot me in the middle of my speech. Rude, and also stupid. I can read you all like open-books.” Shinobu observed them with interest. “Now that I’ve made my point clear, let’s play a game. To start, I would like each of you to give your first names.” It was an entirely unreasonable proposition one would make of another in a superior position. To an outside observer, the rebels held all the power in the room. That was a misconception. Violence and power are not one in the same. In fact, it is often the case that one resorts to violence precisely because they were powerless.

“Why…do we have to listen to you?” This one’s voice faltered. It was a testament to how they’d already been ensnared by the girl.

“You don't have to be afraid, I'm not scary at all. In the event you overthrow the Neverminds, the whole world will know your names anyway. What do you have to lose?” It was a sound argument; one thoroughly entrenched in logic. Perhaps that is what compelled the men to acquiesce her request. Dignity, charisma, prestige. The mage possessed all these qualities - Her words weaved an arcane melody that pierced the soul.

“Dietrich, Francis, Jacob, and our beloved captain, Alex.” Shinobu recited their given names with ominous fondness. It left a pungent aftertaste in the rebel’s mouths; as if they’d given their souls away to the devil, and for reasons not even they could comprehend. “You all must have gone through pains to get here. You train together, eat together, sleep together. Therefore, I’m sure you all share a powerful bond, born of your ideals; a bond even more genuine than any that mere blood relations could provide. I’m reeling with envy.”

“What of it?” The captain, now named Alex replied.

“I respect those kinds of ties so I’m giving you all a choice. Do not lay a hand on any of us and turn yourselves in.” A laughable statement, one nobody else even entertained. “In the more probable event that you choose to go ahead and attempt to take my life…I want you all to choose who I’ll take with me to the grave. Don’t worry one bit, I’ll be extra sure to confirm their deaths, whoever they may be.”

Everyone in the room was rendered speechless, processing exactly what they had just been told.

“You’re mad.” Was the captain’s conclusion.

“The most successful humans in history have often been eccentrics. Make your choice, or I can do it for you, if that’s what you want. But in that case, I’ll definitely kill your dear captain.”

“Son of a…” Those words were left unfinished.

Sonia observed the mental slaughter in veiled awe. On the surface, the situation had not changed in the slightest. They were still outnumbered and outgunned by the rebels, however, it was like the enemy’s minds had already been riddled with bullets. The discipline and unity they’d exuded upon first arrival had crumbled. Their current form was poor and their guns shook ever so slightly in their arms. It was ridiculous seeing grown men bearing weapons would shudder in front of a 14 year old girl. Yet instinctively they knew…this girl could do carry out her threat, _would_  carry it out. As far as they were concerned, she already had a body count of 2 of their men to prove it.

Sonia’s eyes widened as she stumbled on a sudden revelation. While Sonia struggled to understand most worldly matters, that did not mean she was naïve. Psychological warfare was hardly a novel concept to her, thus she _understood_.

Why had Shinobu gone on a tangent by revealing her family’s retaliation in the event of her demise, if she was to turn around and advise the rebels to do exactly that and kill her? It was illogical if her goal was to survive. But there was a different purpose. Shinobu had implanted the scope of her family’s influence into their minds...and influence was power.

 Could she, in all honesty, claim this was a spur of the moment plan? Shinobu’s plan was reliant on an important factor – credibility. Power meant nothing if it could not be used sufficiently. However she already had two body counts to her name. The first kill had foiled the assassination attempt on her father; that fact was important in of itself, and Sonia did not think the rebels would leave that task to an amateur. The second had been Sonia’s doing, yet Shinobu took credit for it in front of them. As far as the rebels knew, Shinobu had already bested 2 of their armed men, with nothing but knives. They had every reason to believe her threat was credible.

~~But how far did the rabbit hole go?~~

At the end of those machinations…right now, the rebels’ attention, all of it was focused on Shinobu. Pragmatically, one life for the sake of victory was tolerable, but she had attacked them as individuals, instead of a team of 4. It would have been one thing if these men were genuine soldiers; hardened men who fought for a cause much greater than themselves. Instead they were belligerents, without the same training and fought for their own interests at worst and for each other at best.

_At this moment, they had forgotten about their target, Sonia._

**_First. You must decide whether or not it is appropriate to obey a fight or flight response._ **

They had  a tactical advantage, she couldn’t win head on.

**_Second. If your opponent is difficult to overcome, you must consider why_ **

Her position was fair. They hadn’t noticed she was armed, but that alone wasn’t enough leverage to tip the scales. There were 4 men. Supposing she picked one off, the remaining 3 would kill her. If both girls attacked, there would still be two left, arguably one if they were lucky. But at least one of the enemy would have the opportunity to retaliate. The circumstances were similar to the corridor’s.

**_Third. If you feel there is no hope for victory, then retreat_ **

There was nowhere to run, thus giving up would be the closest alternative. However, that meant her friend would die.

Cain had called these the basic rules of survival, however, if it meant she lived as a coward then she had no use for them. Her friend had provided her with the best possible opening, and she would take it. Sonia admitted that – in a moment’s weakness – she hesitated in the hall, which led to Nagisa taking the bullet, but she wouldn’t falter this time.

Sonia gripped her gun and aimed for the head one of the men. She abandoned her reservations and personal feelings towards the task and pulled the trigger. None of them noticed until one’s head popped open. That was the second time she killed a person.

 “She’s armed!” The rebel yelled, their attention returned to the princess. In tandem, Shinobu took that opening and drew her handgun, silencing the captain with a shot through the chest. The third was dispatched using the knife, and the forth she knocked to the ground with a kick, disabling him. Just when it seemed Shinobu was about to follow up, she staggered, clutching her chest with one arm, then slowly collapsed onto the floor.

Even from where Sonia sat, she could hear the girl’s harsh breathing.

 “Don’t move!” He screamed, pointing the gun at Sonia.

“Wait.” Sonia cursed as the worst happened. Another of the rebels entered the room. But…she recognized this one. “We’ve secured her. She’ll be of no use dead.”

“Boris!? I thought you were dead?...What’s wrong with your eyes?” The injured soldier said, referencing the new arrival’s scarlet eyes.

“I barely escaped with my life. Fucking bitch.” The one called Boris, spat on the ground near Shinobu. “The royals are pushing us back, we need the princess _now_.”

“Not until I kill that piece of shit on the ground.” The barrel of his gun aimed at Togami.

“Go right ahead.”

“Stop!” Sonia yelled.

Gun fire rang…and the man fell. The one called Boris shot him from behind.

"What?" Sonia breathed out.

With one receiver, he called… “The princess escaped her room. She’s on her way to the artillery vault. I’ll hound her, you cut her off.”

Sonia blinked. What in the world was happening.

Boris’ voiced transformed into a considerably more robotic one. “It is done, commander. The target is safe in her room…very well, I’ll return to combat and eliminate the insurgents…at the cost of my life.” He turned around

There was a large indent at the back of his head; wide and long enough for a knife to fit. A small stream of blood had flowed and dried.

Sonia was left speechless at the sight. It took several moments for her to recover and rush over towards Shinobu, who she’d found was unconscious. It seemed the soldier hadn’t held back with his blow.

“What do I do? If anyone else comes, I’ll have to protect them.” She gripped one of the assault rifles and turned around. If anyone came through the entrance, she wou-

“I would be very happy if you pointed that thing elsewhere. It’s an eyesore.” A familiar voice to match a familiar, unimpressed visage. Cain stood tall and glowered at her.

“ _W-What are you doing here_?” Sonia’s stammered.  

“The king is one of my clients. I was hired a week ago to help guard the castle if it came under attack. I believe I’ve done a decent job of it.” He said calmly.

“You are a…”

“A mercenary, yes. Didn’t my brother tell you about my ‘hobbies’?” As always, he took mild pleasure in making her feel like a dunce. Come to think of it, she had jumped to the conclusions as to exactly _what_ Cain’s hobby was.

Sonia sighed, feeling exhaustion wash over her “That man, earlier.  Boris. You had him disguised as the enemy?”

“He’s unimportant. It’d actually be convenient if you forgot him.” Cain ignored her question and examined the other two in the room “Both are alive.”

 “I…was protected the entire time.” In the end, she couldn’t win against them and someone got hurt anyway.

The older of the two miscreants gave her a stern glare. “She took out those 4 by herself?" He pointed to the unconscious Togami "I find that hard to believe. I also can’t see someone as bullheaded as you would let another take the bullet while you did nothing. Add the gun in your hands…”

“I know…” Sonia snapped.

…

“Taking a life…not a good feeling, is it?”

“It is horrible.” The bile in her throat stood as testament. She narrowed her field of vision, not wanting to so much as glance at the fresh corpses in her room.

“The first time is always hardest, and there is still room to turn back. After the second however, it becomes so much easier.” What did he mean by that? That the worst was over and she could become a kill as freely as she wished now? Ridiculous.

“And you do this for a living?” She snarked.

“Did I ever give you the impression that I cared about money or luxury?” Judging from the state of their house, the question didn’t need an answer.

“I am a servant. I kill because that’s what’s asked of me. Our circumstances are reversed, but you’re not much different. Eventually, you will be forced to make difficult choices, because that is what is requested of your position.”

“You…really can’t go without criticizing me at every turn, can you?” Sonia frowned.

“I assess others fairly. If you think I’m overly cynical, then the reason is that so few manage to earn my approval.”

Her eye twitched. “You are very prideful for a mere servant.”

Cain snorted. “Why are you angry? Did you _want_ me to praise you?”

“Not at all. I am just lamenting the sad future that is to come of your brutish personality.” A dark smile crossed her features.

“...If you can banter like that, then you’re fine.”

…

“My father. Is he alright?” Sonia asked.

“He and the are relatively safe. The rebels are all but extinguished at this point. The ones that retreated will be dealt with before long. It seems we can’t move the kid, so we’ll have to wait here. I’ll call for assistance.” The older boy picked up his phone.

 

\---

 

And that marked the abrupt end of the most chaotic night in Sonia’s life up to that point. She didn’t remember much after the adrenaline sapped away and left her too drained to remain awake. The next morning, Cain had disappeared and she was briefed about what occurred. None of the guests bar Nagisa had suffered any major injuries. The belligerents were routed, imprisoned or executed in short order. On a strange note, stragglers who were thought to have escaped were later found, their bodies charred by flames. Several camps and locations believed to be their base of operations were also burned to the ground, yet no signs of what could have started these fires or anything resembling explosives could be found. All in all, the matter had been settled cleanly.

“How are you feeling?” Sonia asked Shinobu, who’d taken up temporary residence in the castle as a patient.

“Besides the house arrest? Just peachy.” She said, her forehead tied with bandages.

“Doctor’s orders.”

“If the doctor really cared about my health, he’d save me from the brain aneurism I’m bound to get when I meet the towers of paperwork at home.” Shinobu pouted.

“Am I inconveniencing you?”

“...If anyone’s an inconven-“

“Please do not say it. If you are to demean yourself then I would prefer you thank me for lending a hand in your time of need and leave it at that.” Sonia closed her eyes, displeased at the deprecative behavior.

“…In that case, thanks for bailing me out.”

“It is the least I could do after you saved Nagisa.”

“What happened to him anyway?”

Sonia made a pensive gesture. “He was sent off to a proper hospital, but the worst was long over before the doctors saw to him…in fact, I was told that his wounds had already been healing by that point.” With the bullet casing also missing, the medical team doubted that Nagisa had been shot at all. To avoid further misunderstandings, the doctors were told that the royal family’s staff had intervened quickly after the boy was injured. Which was partly true, if you omitted a certain someone's involvement.

“That’s great to hear…or it should be, so why is it that you don’t sound as happy as you should?” Perceptive as ever. Sonia wondered why she’d even bothered putting up any pretenses.

“Do you recall the start of the havoc?”

“It’d be hard to forget throwing a knife at someone.”

“That is actually the matter I wish to discuss with you.” Sonia began “The man you hit…he was dead, correct?”

Shinobu blinked. “Uh…I didn’t really get a good look…but with a knife that big and from that angle, I would assume so. Then again, those guys were kind of thickheaded. For all we know, literally.” She joked.

“I saw him again after you were left unconscious. His eyes were an abnormal color and he shot one of his allies.”

“…Are you sure it was him? I mean, even assuming he survived, it’s not humanly possible for him to have recovered so fast…much less retain that much control over his motor functions.” Shinobu pressed a finger to her lips in thought.

“It was him; his ally called him by name. The same person they accused you of killing…and the wound on the back of his head was there.”

“What do you think happened?” Shinobu crossed her arms.

“I do not know. I admit to having less than adequate knowledge of the world, but that can’t be normal.”

“Not logical you mean. My guess is the same as yours. Maybe some kind of doping that I’ve never heard of, but if they had that, then why stop at one guy? Give them to the whole army, and we’d have been in serious trouble.”

“…You believe me?” Sonia inquired, surprised.

The deviant giggled “Why not…or are you playing a prank on me? If not, there’s no reason not to believe you.”

“Even though what I’ve said is far from ordinary?”

“Ordinary is just one more way for people to limit the world to a level they can comprehend. You are my friend. If you’re serious about what you saw, then I have faith that it’s true.”

In a way, Shinobu’s trust in Sonia had been shown a while back. “I’m sorry for doubting you, especially after you placed so much faith in me against the rebels.”

“…Come again?” Shinobu shifted.

“The plan to catch the them off-guard. We never discussed it and it would not have worked if you didn’t believe I could anticipate your intention.”

“Oh...about that. I have a confession to make.” Shinobu laughed nervously, bringing a hand to her face, as if trying to hide away from her host. “That wasn’t trust, not even close. I'm not sure if you'd get it even if I explained. you’d have to see things the way I do."

"Try me."

"That is to see other humans as part of a calculative process; never deviating from greatly from a fixed average.”

“You may be correct about my inability to understand.” Sonia sent her a confused look.

 “A coward will always be a coward. Those who are destined to be strong, will be strong. Those with talent are destined to succeed, and those without are sadly, doomed to mediocrity. People can’t exceed their inherent limitations.” Shinobu replied. To Sonia, it was mantra-like, a rehearsal that she’d told herself over and over.

 “Is that really how you perceive the world?” Sonia frowned.

“Yes. Pathetic, right?” Shinobu asked, unable to meet the princess’ eyes.

“Very. I find it disheartening to see someone as talented as you would have such a depressive outlook. I doubt there is much happiness in your life.” Sonia fumed. That sort of pessimistic perspective was heretical to every man, woman and child that believed in meritocracy.

“I make it a point to admit that fact.” Shinobu said matter-of-factly.

“Then why do you smile?” Sonia posed the question at the forefront of her mind. Her words weren’t to be taken in a literal sense; The Togami girl exuded multiple expressions, but none of them – in Sonia’s opinion – _truly_ veered off smug content. It was difficult for the naïve girl to explain given her limited interaction with peers. No, even if she were a social caterpillar (butterfly) she still may not have understood. It was not insincerity, far from it. The closest comparison to Sonia's mind was...the ocean. Clear and transparent, yet she couldn't grasp the vast expanse of water nor could she gleam the bottom.

“Is that a problem?” Shinobu straightened up.

“I am confident that I will learn to read you better regardless. If you are unhappy, then smiling will give others the wrong impression and you’ll have nobody but yourself to blame for that misunderstanding. Why do you do it?” Sonia said.

“…There are reasons.” She replied in a low voice.

“I would like to hear them.” Sonia said, adamantly. She wouldn’t settle for vague answers this time.

Shinobu sighed then shot a bored look at Sonia “…I’ve had a weak constitution as long as I could remember. Strenuous activities cause my health to deteriorate.”

“Strenuous? Was that why you fainted?” Shinobu nodded. “Then, what of the dance?”

“What counts as stress is relative. I was fine, right up until the end.” She muttered. Sonia didn’t know if she could believe that. “As long as I can stop myself from getting worked up, I can weather through most things. A side-effect of suppressing my excitability is – or so I’ve been told – that I’m emotionally insensitive to social cues.”

“Why did you not inform us?” That sounded like an important detail to skip over in a life-or-death situation.

“Did you just expect me to bring it up out of the blue? I had enough trouble getting you both to worry about _yourselves_.” 

“To put it another way, you did not trust us to be reliable partners.”

“That goes without saying.”

“I cannot say being underestimated like that brings me satisfaction.” Was one way to look at it, however… “Would I be correct in assuming you telling me now is a sign that you _do_ trust me.”

“I’m not all _that_ willing. You're totally strongarming me here.” Shinobu deadpanned, then smiled at Sonia’s reaction. “I’m joking. You already proved you’re capable. You don’t need acknowledgement from me of all people.”

“Compliment accepted.” Sonia replied. “So what is the other reason? You used plural.”

“I’m keeping a promise.”

“To whom?”

My older sister, Filia.” Shinobu said, hesitantly.

Sonia hadn’t expected the conversation to take that turn. Given what she learned of the family, there would be nothing but scars here. Shinobu would likely reveal no more than that.

“To never stop smiling is the parting gift…and the hateful curse she left me with. Since I’m the reason she died, the least I can do is see her grudge through.” Shinobu placed a hand on her chest, and waved the other flippantly, as if performing a drama. However, that ever-present smile of hers was faint, barely discernible from a blank doll's.

Sonia silently acknowledged her friend's instability. If only because she felt guilty for reopening old wounds.

“Did you know that some people call me a mage?” Shinobu said, bringing up a new topic.

“Y-Yes. I’ve been told.” Sonia stuttered.

“When did-…never mind. Your accolade about that walking-dead guy. Let’s just say that it might not be impossible for magic to exist. The world’s a big place…you never know.”

“Then, you mean to say you can perform witchcraft!?” Light shone from Sonia’s eyes as she closed in on the bedridden girl.  “You must tell me how!” The gloomy atmosphere that descended in the room had lifted, albeit inorganically

“T-Too close. And that’s a secret. However, I _can_ help if you want to learn about magic. Whether it’ll _work_ is a different story.”

“I am very interested!” Sonia replied, enthusiastically.

“Show me around town and I’ll see if they have some books in a library.” Shinobu patted her head.

“We have our own library in the castle.”

“Not the point. It has to be outing.”

“That is a necessary step to learn about magic?”

“No, but it _is_ necessary to motivate me.”

“I do not quite understand, but I trust in your judgement.” Sonia beamed.

“Great, it’s a date.” Shinobu tried to imitate Sonia’s jubilance but failed spectacularly and settled onto her usual relaxed grin. “And while we're there, I'll show you tons of picture of my cute little brother.”

“Sonia.” A booming voice caught her attention, just before she could respond.

“Yes, father.” She turned back to meet the king.

“I wish to speak with the patient alone.”

“Let’s talk later.” Shinobu gestured her to leave with the flip of the hand. Sonia looked between them and resigned to doing as her father asked.

“Goodbye for now.” Sonia said, bidding the two farewell.

Visiting hours were closed for Nagisa so…she could go see what those brothers were doing. She had a fair bit of questions for them as well.

…

 

\---

 

“Your gambles go too far” King Lucius said, as soon as he was sure Sonia was out of the picture.

“Whatever do you mean? It turned out alright, didn’t it?” The truth of the matter was that King of Novoselic had sought out the Togami mistress’ aid some time ago, and she gracefully provided her assistance. The brunt of which came into play at the party.

“The Novoselic line is on the brink of collapse. Uprisings have been growing more prevalent with time. The very worst-case scenario would be a re-enactment of the Tsar dynasty’s end during Bolshevik rebellion. Compared to _that_ , I hardly went overboard.” She flipped her hair, making a statement that would draw odd stares from any sane man.

“It boggles the mind how you can say that in your condition…nevertheless, I am grateful for your help. The rebellion forces have been publicly crushed, thanks to those boys at Fenrir you had me hire, and without so much as a single life taken.” A heavy blow would surely be dealt to any other factions who would dare try the same. For the meantime, the Nevermind’s had established a strong power base to repel even the most cunning attempts at revolt and assassination.

“Your guards don’t count as casualties?”

“Not as far as the public is concerned.” The guests were the statistic of relevance on the chessboard. As long as they were not killed, the Neverminds would not lose face.

“The moral implications of how you treat your men are questionable, King Lucius.” Shinobu said.

“I would rather not hear this from the one who set up the plan.”

A mischievous glint shone in Shinobu’s eye, like a prankster’s reaction to being caught in the act. “You’re saying I’m responsible? I gave you an outline and I sent the rebels an anonymous tip, according to it. Desperately, they took the bait, but they were smart enough not to tell me about the details of their plan.” That stage of Shinobu’s scheme was where things fell through…though not nearly enough that the plan couldn’t be salvaged. Just that were now a small number of sacrifices instead of none. That said, the aberrant was never one to overlook failure, no matter the depth.  “Hm…putting it that way, your men’s deaths _were_ because of my oversight. I make no excuses.”

Lucius let out a heavy sigh “…Compared to the losses that could have been suffered through prolonged warfare, the damages were minimal. The primary objective was accomplished. However…” He threw a newspaper onto Shinobu’s lap, with Sonia’s face on the cover. “The leaked reports spoke of my daughter’s bravery and success in fending off the enemy and stopping the Shingetsu boy’s bleeding. Your involvement was omitted entirely.”

“Great. The last thing I want is to be noticed by tabloids and alike. I’m too shy for that kind of thing.”

“How much of this is true? Did Sonia really fight them?”

The blond giggled. “…You should have more faith in your daughter. She was fantastic, with or without my help.” Her smile retreated somewhat. “I have some small grievances with her priorities, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about her future as a ruler.  Her potential is much higher than yours.”

“I see. That makes me proud.” The king nodded. “By the way, how is your father? I planned on telling him about your condition, but I couldn’t reach him. The butler was the only one available.”

“Father’s health is declining. I can’t tell you any more than that. I’m not keeping secrets by the way. I don’t know any more because he hasn’t spoken to us in years.” Shinobu said in a cold voice. It was obvious to anyone that this topic was dangerous ground to tread on, thus it continued no further.

“You have helped me considerably. What do you wish in return?” Lucius said.

Shinobu sent him a confused look. “I’m in a foreign country and resting in a castle after quite the party. I think this already beats most vacations.” There was no need for payment.

“Be serious. I don’t intend to owe debts.” What she could ask for in return would be equivalent to the results of her service. Services that could strip the king of a fortune.

Her words generous, however, something twisted and sinister lied beneath the surface. Lucius believed this. No man or woman would invite danger and desire nothing in return. He would have felt more at ease had she just requested an outrageous sum of money. At least then, her intentions could be defined.

“…I’m exceptionally poor at self-restraint. Tasks that require too little effort are actually a burden.” Shinobu said out of the blue. Lucius furrowed his eyebrow, wondering how that bit of information related to his question. “Forget it. Let’s just say that this is very much a vacation for me, and I’m thankful enough for that.”

 “You mean to say you _enjoyed_ yourself despite everything?”

“…That all depends on what you mean.” There was a fundamental disconnect present, not just in communications but in perspective. A sane man could never reach an understanding with those on the other of the spectrum. Lucius had known this odd girl long enough to acknowledge that fact. "I assume this also explains why you appeared in perosn despite knowing of the danger?”

Shinobu considered the statement, then replied with a shrug. “I was perfectly serious when I said Byakuya’s education was more important." Speaking of important matters, there was one thing she'd been holding in her chest that needed to be let out. "Would it kill you top put some directions in this castle!?”

 

-2 years later-

 

Sonia Nevermind, age 16 and already a year in high school. So much time had passed since then. Novoselic had experienced a lasting peace. Enough that Sonia was allowed to leave the country for the first time, much to her delight. Up until how, she had been greatly satisfied by Abel’s routine visits and tales of his travels; the latest had been of his interest in Chinese fashion and customs. Sonia learned to pick up bountiful phrases from him as well. Most she was strictly advised by Cain to never utter in front of her father. In the case of the older brother, she had grown more…tolerant of his crassness but that was to be expected as she met him regularly. Her father, being impressed by his work during the uprising enlisted him among the palace guards. Though, Sonia had noticed he was also sent on missions occasionally.

She rarely met Shinobu in person; the other woman being an exceedingly busy woman, having to take care of the Togami conglomerate. Shinobu made time to regularly send Sonia letters. Most often being complaints of the princess’ passivity when it came to acquiring cell-phones. Fortunately, contacting the Togami mistress may prove easier…now that Sonia had moved to Japan. Approximately 2 months ago, she’d received an invitation to attend a prestigious school in the area. Her father surprisingly did not strongly object to her decision after she’d prodded him tirelessly.  Between Abel and Nagisa’s stories of Japan, she had gained a great interest in the orient and the admission was an opportunity she could not pass up!

Sonia stood in the center of a wide expanse. A juggernaut of a building stood in front of her. A school were talent was fostered and researched. Where hopes and dreams would be consolidated.

“So I am the Ultimate Princess...For the next three years, I am a normal high schooler. How thrilling! I shall cherish my time at this academy!"

In hindsight, it was comical to admire Hope's Peak, but they kept all their promises. She did indeed make wondrous memories inside that expertly crafted coffin.


	20. Interlude IV: Sonia Nevermind (3)

-September 2008-

 

First impressions made or broke potential relationships. In front of the classmates she would be spending the next 3 years with, she couldn’t shame herself…Ah, but she couldn’t appear too perfect either. Just act more natural than natural, Sonia. “My name is Sonia Nevermind, The Ultimate Princess. I wish to make many pleasant memories with you all for our time here.” She introduced herself to the  other students of her class, who were translucent with at her fairy tale title. In Sonia’s eyes they were more radiant than she was. Was it their speech? Their casual demeanor? Or their own brand of confidence? Sonia couldn’t be sure, but she considered them all free spirits.

“How would she approach any of them?” 2 days had passed, and she hadn’t been able to strike up a prolonged conversation with anyone. She sat beneath a large oak tree, feeling the warm – yet slowly chilling as the days went by – air across her skin. The peaceful silence nearly drove her to sleep, had it not been for a sudden visitor.

“You’re Sonia, right?”

The recipient’s exhaustion faded in wake of that mellow voice “Yes…and you are Chiaki Nanami.” The pinkette’s introduction during the class period had been adorably lethargic.

“What can I do for you?” Sonia asked.

“Nothing much…or maybe...” She played with her sweater while struggling with indecision. “I got it. Is there room for one more?”

“It is a public space.” Sonia owned nothing here, not that she would have refused otherwise. Nanami took a seat by Sonia and quickly reminded the blonde why yawns were considered infectious. Be it from the body heat or their tired states synchronizing, the girls drifted to sleep in a matter of minutes.

The sun had begun to set by the time Sonia woke up. With fair difficulty, she roused her (extremely squishy looking) companion awake as well.

“Where am I?” Nanami stretched. Sonia brought a cloth out of her pocket and wiped the drool on the other girl’s face.

 _‘Soft as a newborn’s skin.’_ Sonia mentally noted.

“I’d like to ask if you wanted to hang out, but I guess we’ve done that already?”

“We have? Did I miss it?” Sonia anxiously clasped her hands together, berating herself for letting an important experience slip past her.

“Not unless you got up and went somewhere while I was asleep. Speaking of which, I should have reached the end of your route.” Chiaki said, alternating from a console in her fingertips to look at Sonia.

“I’m afraid I do not understand.”

“I was thinking of a way to break the ice and trigger your flag. Well, did it work? You’re not nervous around me anymore, right?”

Foreign terminology aside, Sonia thought (?) she understood Nanami’s intentions. “It does seem that way.” Proximity was the enemy of alienation after all.

“What are you holding there, if I may ask?” Sonia referred to the blinking console that captured so much of Nanami’s attention.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but didn’t you have Gameboys in…um where did you say you were from? I was a bit sleepy during class.” Ah, she _had_ heard of those devices.

“Novoselic, in the Netherlands. To answer your question it would be yes, but I myself have never indulged in any, Nanami.” Sonia replied, remembering that it was Japanese custom to refer to distanced acquaintances informally.

“No need to be formal, just call me Chiaki.” The gamer stood on her feet, lazily wobbling to the side like a toddler who’d first learned to walk. “And there’s no problem if you’re a noob. I’ll teach you.” Chiaki extended her hand out. Sonia lips turned upwards into a smile. “I would appreciate that, Chiaki.”

“Now that you’ve joined my party. To the arcade!” The gamer pointed to the far-off distance

That was how Sonia met her first friend at Hope’s Peak.

…

“I had never experienced death before, and I never dared to think it would occur 5 times in a single day. You do not hold back, Chiaki.” Sonia said, slightly traumatized by the trouncing Chiaki had given her in a ‘first-person shooter’ as she put it. Sonia field knowledge of arms did not help her in the slightest against the pinkette’s skill. “I can see why you are called the Ultimate Gamer.”

“You _suck_ , Sonia. You think too much so you’re too slow to react. It was like shooting a doll.” Chiaki said. “Sometimes, it’s better to relax and go with the flow.” Thanks to Abel’s verbal ‘training’, such metaphors no longer flew by Sonia’s head. “The same goes for the others. In our class You shouldn’t spend time thinking about interacting with them, just do it. Those guys are pretty easy-going, it’s almost worrisome.”

Sonia bit back a backhanded remark. It wouldn’t do to call Chiaki out on the double standard.

“Hmm.” Chiaki puffed her cheeks, humming.

“Is something the matter?”

“I’m thinking of your punishment for losing game.” Punishment?

“Punishment? Is this customary?” Sonia asked eagerly, imagining what sort of penalty Chiaki had in mind. Whipping? Gladiator sport? Public shaming?  She would refuse that but learning of the culture was an inexperience in of itself.

“Not really, but I want to make one this time. It’s more fun if there are stakes when playing. Like party games and such.”

“Party games? You mean like truth-or-dare or spin the bottle?” Sonia’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm

“That’s right. Those games are fun because of the risks involved.  They’re ultimately harmless, but you get to know more about whoever’s playing by backing them into a corner.”

“I understand. What would you have me do?”

Chiaki pumped her arms, a determined look on her features. “You have to become friends with everyone in our class. You’ve been having trouble right, so now I’m leaving you with no choice.”

Those demands…“I take it you overheard my plight earlier?” She hadn’t exactly been quiet.

“Yup. It’s a habit I picked up from having to multitask between my games and IRL.” Chiaki said.

Sonia ruminated on her Chiaki’s conditions and they seemed rather fair. “Then I shall accept your terms. Who do you propose I begin with?” Sonia asked, but received no response.

 “Chiaki?” All she could hear was faint snoring from the smaller girl who’d dozed off while on her feet.

“She is a strange one.” Sonia laughed nervously.

 

\---

 

 

_Her first target was Byakuya Togami, who she crossed paths with in the school’s library on the second floor. She presumed he was a learned man, for the library was a place most students avoided._

“Nevermind.” He surrounded himself with a miniature fortress of books stacked nearly on the front desk. It spoke of his size that she could still make him out.

“It is rare to see someone else in their library.” And it was fortunate she had, for the affluent progeny had caught her interest the most of any of her classmates.

“The loss of the masses. If they had any brains on their heads, they would excavate every inch of this treasure trove of knowledge.” Togami rebuked their classmates for their oversight but seemed pleased by the outcome regardless. “Suits me either way, it’s a peaceful getaway from that noisy lot.”

“I can see your point.” Though Sonia personally find their jubilance to be endearing. “I wonder how much information is stored here.” Her eyes wandered to the isles filled with novels.

“Nothing that our families wouldn’t already possess. The Togami manor alone is a match for this room.”  Togami stood and walked towards her, carrying two texts in one hand. “Here. There’s even information on Nevermind and Togami line.”

Sonia almost dropped the texts when he placed them on her hands, indicating just how much content was stored inside. She set aside the book with her family’s insignia, immediately noting the similarities to the one in her family library. “It is almost a perfect copy.” As if it were stolen.

“Yours is a perfect imitation?” There was a condescending, yet intrigued nuance in Togami’s voice. “Mine is incomplete. There’s a certain event that was blocked off from the records.”

“Would it have anything to do with the most recent succession ceremony?” Sonia imagined that would be the information he’d need the most to perfect the act.

Sonia knew this wasn’t the real Byakuya Togami. Shinobu had sent her several pictures of her brother, and while this imposter’s appearance was close, it was also impossibly off the mark. Additionally, Byakuya did not meet the age requirements to attend HPA. He was 2 years younger than this man.

“I suppose it’s to be expected that you’ve heard of it. Yes, the war of siblings which I achieved victory, is omitted from the history book.” He said proudly.  “Though you might be curious, I have no intention of breathing a word about what happened during that chaotic time.” He shut down any attempts at questioning him, before she’d even taken initiative.

“I didn’t plan on asking. It’s just…with all this talk of family, I meant to ask how Filia was doing. I haven’t seen her in some time.”

 “What she does, is none of my business.” He replied without missing a beat. She mentally applauded him for his quick thinking, but it was ultimately pointless.

“Let us do away with the charades. I know that you are not who you say you are.” She startled him. “I know Byakuya’s sister…but you’ve mistaken her name. Whether I take action will depend on the sincerity of your answer.” Sonia set her terms. Even if this person was a classmate, she wouldn’t let him get away with defamation.

The imposter flustered. Sonia presumed he’d prepared several excuses or deflections if his identity was ever called into question…but those countermeasures fall short of someone who already knows the truth. “What a blunder.”

“I…did not expect you to give in so quickly. Are you a more sensible man than I anticipated?”

“Only an idiot plays charades when the parties involved know the truth.” Being gracious in defeat was always an admirable quality. Perhaps he wasn’t a bad person after all.  “I knew my identity would be uncovered eventually…but a few days? I have never made a mistake like this before.”

“It is bad luck that I was acquainted with the Togami family. But I would still like to gear your reasons, preferably beginning with your true name?”

“Sagishi.”

“Imposter? So simple.” She’d been mentally calling him that anyway. How convenient. “Is the school aware that you are using another’s name?”

 “Do not get the wrong idea. I am an Ultimate. The Ultimate Imposter, to be exact.” He crossed his arms, exuding a smidgeon of that earlier pride “Furthermore, I do not steal identities with malicious intent, nor have I used so much as a cent under the Togami name. I borrow their faces and their names, that is the extent of my forgeries.”

“That sounds very roundabout. What do you stand to gain from the impersonation?”

“Is that a question I must answer.”

“If I am to be ensured of your sincerity, yes.”

“It is the only way I can exist.”

Sonia waited for an elaboration that would no doubt come after the Imposter’s pause.

 “Confusing, is it? I imagine I must sound insane to anyone else…but I am in my right mind. Without the faces I steal, I am a nobody who would fade from memory if I were to rely on my true personality. I do not even recall when I first began imitating others, but that is all I can do now.” 

“I…cannot claim to understand your plight.” It would be difficult for someone with as much awareness of her place in the world as Sonia. “Nevertheless, you appear genuine to me.” A tad ironic, but he did not seem the bad sort. With her curiosity sated, she didn’t need to harass him any further.

“W-Wait, you will not say anything?” Sagishi called as he saw her turn to leave.

“So long as you remain harmless, I was never going to tell you to stop. I also imagine it would be a grave inconvenience to you if the class were to quickly learn of your disguise. This is both our secrets to keep.” Sonia smiled.

“Is Byakuya Togami not your friend? You don’t think they would want to find about this?”

“You have right to be skeptical…and I had considered it but…” A mental image of Shinobu’s plausible reaction came to mind.

_‘…That’s hilarious! You talk and act just like him! But the physique is all wrong and you’re a few centimeters too tall…I’ve decided, you’re undergoing a diet and a training schedule that of my making.  Huh? Your consent? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve shown me something interesting, I won’t let you escape. If you have any complaints, just remember…you brought this on yourself.’_

It would probably go something like that. “I fear that would be pointlessly cruel.”

 

\--

 

_Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, an aggressive boy with an unapproachable aura. Those who failed to perceive his unfriendly disposition beforehand, quickly learned of it the instant he opened his mouth. Kuzuryu’s personality was like the very similar to gangsters in her dramas back home! That would have been her first reason, the other was in accordance to one of her father’s conditions…_

“Good morning.” She said to the gangster who was scowling to himself before noticing her. She wondered if he practiced getting his face to stay that way. Nevertheless, it but all too common to see him alone.

“Oh, It’s you.” He said, a touch _too_ dejected.

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“It’s nothing. Mind your own business.” His defensiveness invoked quite a bit of suspicion, in that case.

“If it is a bad time, I can come again.”

The baby gangster scratched his hair in frustration. “It ain’t, as long as you make it quick.”

“I would like to make your acquaintance. At least that is my intention, but my father has also asked this of me.” Sonia relayed. He explicitly said she should curry the favor of, and survey Kuzuryu. “I understand if I am coming across as imposing.”

“Tell me about it. Talk about a way to break the ice…but your folks told you that, too?” Kuzuryu leaned his back on the wall “My mom was bitchin’ at me to play nice with the rich blonde in my class. I had a feeling it was you, and thank fuck it wasn’t Hiyoko. Got any idea why?”

“Father told me that you may become a potential partner in the future. He did not make the nature of the relationship clear however.”

“Oi, this better not be some arranged marriage type deal!” Kuzuryu spluttered, his face reddening.

“I am certain that is not the case.” Sonia shut the notion down. “While I do revere my father, he is also very understanding of me. He should know that I would never forgive him for going behind my back.” She wore a crooked smile.

Kuzuryu whistled “A girl with a spine is always okay in my book.”

 “Young master…” The owner of that voice belonged to Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate swordswoman, who strode up behind Sonia. The blonde turned to face her, puzzled by the designation. “Young master?” That could not have been directed to herself (made even more blatant by the bespectacled girl’s disgruntled look) so she turned to the only other person in the vicinity.

Kuzuryu clicked his tongue

 “Good day to you both.” Pekoyama said.

“You as well. I take it you are his retainer?” Sonia asked.

“No.”

Sonia’s expressed intense skepticism. Even if Pekoyama could disguise the words, the emotion behind them were another matter entirely.

“Fuck it, Peko. She’s got us.” Kuzuryu crossed his arms.

“Forgive me, Young master.”

“My fault for getting suckered into the conversation.” His attention turned to Sonia “Hey, could you keep quiet about this?”

“But of course, it is not my place to pry.” Indeed, she would not even question why they felt like keeping their relationship secret.

“Heh, I’ll hold you to that.” Kuzuryu said. 

Sonia nodded, now facing Pekoyama, who tensed at her gaze. “Is there a problem?” The grey-haired girl inquired, the pressure from the blonde’s stair causing her finely honed instincts to trigger and reach for the wooden sword. Pekoyama stopped the instant sparkles shone from the princess’ eyes

“Not at all. I was merely wondering if that sword was real.” Sonia said.

Pekoyama took a step back. “It…is just a bamboo sword.  Real swords have been outlawed for more than a century.”

“That can’t be.” Sonia yelped. She’d heard nothing of that. “What of those valorous samurai? How would they make a living?”

“I cannot say…but the samurai have long faded into obscurity as well. I doubt there are many left, and you wouldn’t find them in the streets.”

Sonia’s enthusiasm deflated but she clung to one last hope. “But you are a swordsman, Pekoyama…and if you’re affiliated with Kuzuryu, you must not be a law-abiding citizen. Surely you must carry a few illegal blades!”

“I _wanna_ be pissed off by that, but I think I’d be the one looking like an idiot.” Kuzuryu said, puzzled as to how the conversation had taken such a warped turn. “Peko, you’ve got swords at home, don’t you? Show her some later.”

“Young master…very well.” She sighed.

Suddenly Sonia clasped her hands over Pekoyama’s own, offering words of gratitude. The recipient however was startled by the other girl’s speed and proximity, only managing to nod dumbly.

“When may I come over?” Sonia asked.

“The weekends if you’ve got time. I’ll make sure my mom’s out of the way too…and you can call me Fuyuhiko. Watching you force yourself is starting to get painful.” Fuyuhiko grinned. “Now scat. Me and Peko have to talk business.”

“I see. I shall not take up your time any further.” Sonia bubbly skipped away, leaving the two alone.

“What were you thinking?” Fuyuhiko asked the swordswoman once he was sure Sonia was gone. He also examined his surroundings more properly this time, not wanting anyone to find out about his relationship with Peko. “You almost went for that thing.” He pointed at the sword.

“I’m sorry but…I was afraid.” Peko said, meekly.

“Scared? Of Her?” Fuyuhiko’s incredulity was deserved…without knowing the context.

 “Though her quickness is surprising, Nevermind is not particularly intimidating. I was frightened by the familiarity of her gaze. It reminded me of a time where I happened upon a convention.” Peko frowned, a slight shudder escaping at the memory. “I was mistaken for someone in ‘cosplay’ as they put it, and…their stares placed me on considerable edge. I was forced to retaliate in fear for my life.”

“What the fuck?” Fuyuhiko laughed. “But that just means she likes you right?”

“That…may be the case, but I do not see the relevance.” Peko said.

“Why don’t you go and be friends with her? She seems like a good start.” Fuyuhiko suggested.

“Is that an order?”

“Peko come the fuck on. Who _orders_ people to be friends?”

“Point taken. Nevermind appears harmless enough and I received instructions from your mother to observe her regardless.”

Fuyuhiko scrunched his face. “Huh? Mom told you too? What the heck’s going on?”

 

-November 2008-

 

_Then there was the upcoming sport’s festival that Sonia greatly looked forward to. She had no experiences with such events back home and Chiaki suggested seeking out Nekomaru’s aid to prepare._

“GIVE ME EIGHTY, NOW!” Nekomaru Nidai’s voice boomed and his three ‘pupils’ dropped down to perform the designated number of push-ups.

“Hm, I’m surprised to see you can keep up with me and Akane.” Sagishi said. Keeping up was an exaggeration. He was extraordinarily quick for someone of his size. She could barely keep pace with him, much less Akane.

“Of course, she can. I would have placed her on a lower training  if I judged otherwise!”  Nekomaru yelled, when he wasn’t assessing their form, he was joining them in practise.  “But realize this is athlete’s training correct? You plan on using anything you’ve learned here?” He asked, referring to Sonia’s goals after the festival.

“Not…at all.” Sonia huffed. Her lifestyle necessitated little physical labor. Although… “It may prove useful  if I must fight for my life once again.”

“Hm.” “Ah.” “Self-defense works for me!” None of the other three found the blonde’s word choice as odd, having lived abnormal lives themselves.

“You’ve been in fights, blondie? How about you take me on?” Akane grinned. Her feral expression reminded her of a jackal.

“I do not believe I could ever match your constitution.”

“Leave Sonia be, Akane. Her body type is different than yours.” Sagishi had switched to doing push-ups with one hand. “You’re a brawler with an inclination towards agility whereas her muscles are not as developed. If you were a soldier, Sonia would be a secret agent tasked with wet-works.”

“Impressive, Togami! To think I’d find an expert on the body like myself!” Nidai laughed, finishing his task much quicker than the others. “And Akane! You’re 100 years too early to be challenging someone else when you’re still a rookie!”

“Huh!? That’s it. You and me, right now!” Akane stood, growling at the team manager. It was surprise to none that a fight was about to break out.

“I do not advise going down that road, Akane.” Sagishi warned, to no avail as the gymnast had already begun her attack.

“Those two are very physical, aren’t they?” Sonia said.

“It’s like I’m at a zoo, personally. But for them, it might be a bonding exercise of some unfathomable nature.”

Sonia winced when Nekomaru delivered a bone crushing blow to Akane’s torso. “Is she alright?”

“Never mind this idiot. We have class.” Nekomaru picked his ear, paying no further attention to the unconscious athlete lying beneath his feet.

“True. Fools who don’t listen to sound advice only have themselves to blame for failure.” Sagishi too, overlooked Akane.

“What he _means_ to say is that Akane’s the kind of idiot who only learns the hard way.” Nekomaru added. “Not that she needs too much practice for now, being sincere. The sport’s festival should be a breeze with her natural talent.”

“What does this festival entail?” She asked. “I did not have one back at Novoselic, nor did I readily interact with my peers.”

“Explains why you came to me. I, Nekomaru Nidai, promise to make your first experience worthwhile!” He boasted. She’d come to learn this Ultimate exuded an astounding amount of charisma. Everything action he took was filled with such energy and determination that it infected those around him.

“You’re praising me in your mind, aren’t you?”

“D-Did I speak aloud?” Sonia covered her mouth.

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m one with my students in body and mind. I can easily tell just what you’re thinking!” He yelled.

“Naturally. Intuition of that level is only to be expected of those who hold a managerial position. We too, must forever remain ahead of the pack, that includes anticipating the actions of those below us.” Sagishi carried on his façade. He played the part of Byakuya Togami exceptionally well.

A blinding flash of light caught their eyes. They motioned towards the source. “This isn’t a sight you see, everyday. You boys better not be causing trouble for Sonia.” Mahiru Koizumi said.

“Nekomaru and Byakuya are assisting me in an important matter.”

“I was just kidding. Nekomaru here’s got a loud voice so I heard everything.” Mahiru pouted “I can’t say I’m happy that you didn’t come to me if you needed help though.”

“And what will you be doing for the festival, Mahiru?”

“I’ll be taking pictures.”

“You won’t compete yourself?”

“If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to capture the important moments. That’s my role and I’m proud of it.” Mahiru held the camera to her chest.

“I have seen your pictures, Mahiru. It feels like I am staring through a looking glass than a photograph.” Sonia praised.

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Only slightly. Your talents are something to be admired. Modesty is unbecoming of greatness.”

“Geez, where’d you rip that line from?” Mahiru blushed.

“W-Where am I?” That came from Akane, who looked to be still in a daze. For a moment, they were almost worried until... “S’it lunch time yet?”

“Someone knock her back out.” Sagishi said.

 

-January 2009-

 

_Gundham Tanaka was a person of similar interests. The others had difficulty communicating with him for reasons beyond her comprehension. His speech, while grandiose, were fluently understood by her and his heart spoke even clearer. She’d met few others as genuine and unconventionally astute as he. Her opinion of him was further bolstered by his knowledge of the occult, for which she also held a stern interest in. Boredom was a foreign concept in Gundham’s presence._

“It’s you, the contractor of darkness.” He said. “What plot are you hatching on this baleful night.”

“Good evening, Gundham. I’m on a stroll to clear my head.” Sonia greeted. “I am not sure what to do for the nearing practical exams.”

“Is this a ploy to lower my guard? You expect I - the supreme sorcerer - to believe the dark fiend, whose presence alone bewitches the unsuspecting, would fear a trial made by mortals?”

“You say it will come naturally? I see.” Talent to begin with is innate. If hers were a passive trait, then It would manifest itself without her input. “It feels rather lazy of me when I see the others studying hard.”

“Hm. Follow me.” Gundham ordered. Sonia trailed behind the animal breeder, taking note of the garage that waited at the end of their path. The lights were on and she could hear the grating of various machines in use.

“Is Kazuichi inside?” Sonia asked.

Gundham nodded. Kazuichi Souda was class 77’s ultimate mechanic. A shark-toothed boy with a zealous infatuation for the princess. To be honest Sonia thought Kazuichi was somewhat of a coward. Among all the other members in the class, he was the only one who refused to look her in the eye, and instead held on to this idealized perception of her. Her opinion was not indicative of dislike but an assessment of character. Kazuichi redeemed in other ways, one example was his passion towards engineering. He had vision, and the skill to bring it to life. What was that, if not a quality worth admiring in a man?

 _‘Ah but the smell…’_ Sonia kept her distance as soon as she walked in, perturbed by the strong odor of oil…but then marveled at what the mechanic was hunched over. The mechanical limbs and frame made it clear that ‘it’ was an artificial construct. Its form reminded Sonia of a canine, roughly the size of a fully grown golden retriever, only mechanical, with a sleek metallic color and a wire cable for a tail.

“Villain, to have summoned Cerberus itself into our midst! Were you a high priest of Hades all along!?”

“Dude, chill. It’s just a robot dog…er wolf, I don’t really know what I was thinking.” Kazuichi explained “And doesn’t Cerberus have 3 heads, idiot!?”

Despite Gundham and Kazuichi’s conflicting personalities and protests of mutual dislike, (though more so on Kazuichi’s part)  the two often ended up together. Much like right now.

“Amazing, It is so lifelike Kazuichi!  Did you make it yourself?” She inched closer to the robot canine, shaking in excitement.

“Yeees, Ms. Sonia~.” Kazuichi’s face brightened along with her.

“Vile temptress, you mean to say this is no summon, but creation!?” Gundham said, moving closer along with her.

“Yup, and this isn’t just a paperweight or anything. It can move ya know? Bark boy.” Kazuichi ordered.

They waited a few seconds, and it did not seem to be paying attention to him.

“Give me a sec.” Kazuichi fished out a remote and tapped on a button. The dog’s jaw opened as a monotone howl erupted from its mouth.

“If you had the remote, why did you speak to it?” Sonia asked.

“Cause it’s supposed to be able to act on its own, but I can’t get the bugs working right.”

“Ahahahahaha. To manufacture a beast beyond your control is exactly the foolishness I would expect from you, Kazuichi Souda.” Gundham cackled.

“Uh, I guess that’s technically not _untrue_.”  Kazuichi fumbled with his beanie, acknowledging that his rival had a point. “I even had the school help me with finding a brain for this thing. You guys wouldn’t happen to know somebody, would you?”

Both shook their heads.

“That’s what I expected. Plan B. I need you to work your mojo?” He pointed to Gundham.

“What?”

“You’re the animal expert, right? Teach it how to heel or something and we can team up for the exams. It’d That’s why I called you over.”

“So even you have recognized the supreme sorcerer’s gifts. Very well. Though I am unfamiliar with this species, I shall tame it all the same!” Although Gundham feigned reluctance to lend a hand, Sonia wagered he was the most eager of all.

Sonia silently slipped away as the boys became engrossed in the robotic creature.

“Perhaps they are even better friends than I thought.” She giggled.

 

-February 2009-

 

_Others were just as worried about their examinations. Currently, most of the girls lumped up together in a dance hall, cheering Hiyoko on as she performed a mesmerizing dance._

“Blew your mind, didn’t it?” The pig-tailed blonde said arrogantly.

“Would it be better with music?” Sonia asked.

 “Everything’s better with music! Leave it to Ibuki!” The colorful musician already had one hand on her guitar.

“Nononononono! You’re going to scare everyone way. Go sabotage someone else’s routine, puke-hair.” Hiyoko snapped, resulting in a light smack to the head from Mahiru “What’s that for, sis?”

“I’m glad you’re assertive enough to tell others no but that doesn’t excuse bad manners. Ibuki was just trying to help, now apologize.” Mahiru admonished her.

“I say this all the time, it’s not like she _cares_.”

“You don’t get to decide that. Name-calling is wrong.” The red-head’s voice raised, sharply. The octave stunned Hiyoko momentarily before she devolved into a mess of tears “Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“So dramatic. Sorry about that, Ibuki.” Mahiru told the musician while Mikan consoled the crying Hiyoko.

 “No problemo! Hiyoko’s right, Ibuki understands that’s exactly how she is.” Ibuki saluted “But what about you, Mahiru? You’ve been on edge lately.”

“Is it that Natsumi bitch? Don’t tell me she’s been on your case _again_.” Hiyoko forcefully shoved Mikan away.

“Natsumi? You mean Fuyuhiko’s sister?” Sonia asked.

“Y-Yes. I-I’ve never met her, b-but there have been reserve course students sent to the infirmary w-who blamed their injuries on her.” Mikan added.

Mahiru groaned at the news “She hasn’t changed one bit. I hate bullies.”

“So Laaaaame! This is totally killing my mood.” Ibuki comically deflated.

“I believe I understand. And Natsumi has a problem with Mahiru?” Sonia said.

“We were classmates in our old school. She picked on me and my friends then, and she’s doing it now. I wish she’d just grow up already.” Mahiru answered.

“She wouldn’t be so tough if she didn’t have her stupid family. Soooo tough when all you’re good for is showing off daddy’s power.” Hiyoko mocked. “Kukuku, but you’d know all about that, Sonia.”

“Yes, to an extent.” Sonia answered, undaunted by the veiled dig. “Does Fuyuhiko know of this?”

“Like he cares.” Mahiru rolled her eyes. It was no secret that there was existing animosity between gangster and the photographer. “How did criminals like them even get into this school?”

“That is going too far, Mahiru. We both know that Fuyuhiko is not a bad person.”

“You’re _defending_ him?”

“While you are correct that Fuyuhiko is…distanced from the law, he is not the person you portray him to be. A starving child who steals food from the locals is a criminal by law, but that does not mean they are universally harmful.” Sonia paused. “What I mean to say, is that the world is not so black and white for abstract labels to hold weight.”

“Then you’re saying they’ve done nothing wrong?” Mahiru was rightfully skeptical however…

“That is merely my opinion on Fuyuhiko, from an admittedly ignorant standpoint. Natsumi’s has – by your and Mikan’s accolades – presented herself as a threat. You are all my friends and I won’t tolerate harm coming towards any of you.” Sonia proclaimed.

 “This’ll be a riot. Can’t wait to see the both of you throw down and fling your parents’ money around.” Hiyoko cackled while harshly smacking Mikan on the back.

“P-Please stop.” The nurse begged.

Sonia remembered her friend’s line years ago and thought it would be appropriate here. “I have no intention of using power I didn’t earn. My own merits will be enough.”

“Whatever. Just try not to cause a war while you’re at it.”

“Hiyoko’s joking around, but you aren’t gonna do anything wild, are you?” Ibuki said, cautiously.

“I am an emissary of my Novoselic. I am not permitted to dishonor myself or demean the customs of this country. I shall act within the confines of the law.”

 

\---

 

Sonia made good on her promise the following weekend. Mahiru had informed the princess of her longstanding conflict with Natsumi. Sonia was able to pick up that this conflict was entirely instigated by Natsumi. Mahiru had only taken defensive actions against the yakuza mistress, thus from her perspective, she had committed no offense and Natsumi’s hatred was entirely unjustified. Sonia knew better, or rather she was _taught_ to know better, by none other than someone she considered an older brother.

 _‘The one who takes offense is the receiving party, so they’ll be the ones deciding if you got under their skin.’_ It seemed so long ago that the fiery twin gave her that lesson. There are times where simply existing can be an offense to someone. That was the illogical truth. Therefore, Sonia wished to hear the reason from Natsumi’s own lips. That wish brought her to the present where she sat across Natsumi in a plain tatami room surrounded by wooden walls within the Kuzuryu estate.

 

“Peko said you wanted to see me. Better not be anything dumb.”

“Allow me to get straight to the point. Stop harassing Mahiru.” Sonia stated her conditions from the onset. She would hear Natsumi out and find whatever compromise is necessary, but the stated conclusion would not change - Natsumi _would_ cease all violent action towards her friend.

“Got my hopes up for nothing.” Natsumi shook her head. “Did that bitch run and snitch to the big bad princess?”

“There is nothing wrong with the weak seeking refuge in those greater than themselves.” Though Mahiru did not directly come to Sonia for help, she _ought_ to have.

Natsumi had taken her admonishment as evidence of how pitiful the photographer was, judging from how she howled with laughter. “Trash-talking behind her back? Some friend you are.”

“Mahiru is not ignorant of her weakness either nor is there anything wrong with it.” The weak had their own ways to fight and survive. If you are incapable of challenging injustices, you seek the others who are properly equipped to do so. “What would truly be foolish is for her to fail without making use of the various resources at her disposal. That should not be a foreign concept to yourself. If Mahiru is weak for relying on me, then you too are equally lacking for using your family as a crutch.”

“Who’re you calling weak!?”

Sonia ignored the question, seeing nothing but dead-ends down that road. “Mahiru thinks she’s undeserving of your animosity. I wish to know if that’ true or she has simply not noticed her folly.”

“She’s a damn cheat. That’s what.” Natsumi fumed. “She takes so stupid photos, and everyone gushes over here. Where the fuck does ‘talent’ come into pressing a goddamn button?”

“You believe her acceptance to Hope’s Peak is undeserved and wish to be there in her place.” Sonia got to the heart of the matter. She’d skipped several phases, for the envy in the Kuzuryu girl’s voice told her _more_ than enough. She would not deny the existence of natural talent (though talent still needed to be cultivated with training!). Things like status from birth changed the game from the onset. As someone born into royalty, Sonia did not have the right to argue otherwise and thus, did not consider Natsumi’s jealousy, irrational.

Sonia doubted Natsumi was the only one who felt this way. The reserve course students likely held the same kind of emotions towards those enrolled in the main course

“No shit. I can’t believe that cardboard woman got in over me! The committee’s fucking retarded! Maybe I should be a little more forceful the next time I ‘ask’ them to let me into the main course.” A blatant threat.

“They board members made their choice and Mahiru was, for whatever reason, chosen to be among us. If her acceptance was merely due to chance, then her luck is to be praised for that too is a necessary element in life. I see no reason for you to slander her as you have been.” Sonia already knew that Mahiru’s self-esteem was not as optimal as it should be, despite the capable front she put up in front of their classmates. In fact, Mahiru was one of the two who questioned their place among the rest of the Ultimates. The other being Nagito…who was another matter entirely. “Even ignoring that, what could you do to overturn their decision?”

“Get her to drop out. Duh.”

Deplorable…and “A waste of everyone’s time. It is one thing for Mahiru to decide to leave the academy, it was another to be forced to. Mahiru would never submit to oppression. You would be more successful doing nothing at all.”

And so, a back and forth between them began in earnest. Mainly with Sonia breaking apart whatever argument the Kuzuryu girl brought to bear, forcing Natsumi into a mental corner before she screamed. “I’ll find a way!”

“To?”

“I’ll become the Ultimate Little Sister. My brother’s already the Ultimate gangster. If I’m not in the main course with him, I’ll get left behind. I don’t want that.”

Her intentions were pure, however her methods left something to be desired. “You’ll abuse your status to coerce Mahiru to leave for that ambition?”

“Who the hell said I’m using them in the first place!? You’re starting to tick me off.”

“You do as you please because you’re aware of the repercussions that would befall those who take action. I’m certain you’ve boasted of this more than once.”

“So? Not my fault if they’re pussies that can’t take the heat.” Natsumi growled “I don’t have to sit here and watch some nobody preach to me all day. Get the fuck out!”

“If I left, would that mean you’d leave Mahiru alone?”

“Fuck no.”

Sonia sighed. It _would_ come to this. They were a troublesome family in many ways, but much like in her films, there was always one method that solved all yakuza disputes. “I see. That is unfortunate.”

 “What are-“

Sonia tackled Natsumi to the ground before she could react and plopped out a hidden knife, poised at the Kuzuryu girl’s jugular. “Feel free to scream if you’d like, someone might even hear you. But you’ll be dead before anyone will come to your aid.”

“You’re fucking crazy! There’s no way you’d get out of here alive.” Natsumi stuttered, her gaze fearfully focused on the blade.

Sonia tilted her head at the poorly thought out inquisition. “What makes you think I would be harmed? I come from a powerful family as well. You own many trained men and assassins in Japan, likely numbering in the tens of thousands but I have a whole nation at my disposal. The odds are stacked against you. The Japanese government would most definitely get involved and dissolve loathed criminals like the Kuzuryu’s to avoid international war. They would have little to lose. Now tell me, do you believe your family is willing to pay that price for you? Be absolutely sure.”

 “…They would.”  

Sonia detected  no confidence in those words. That was the root of the problem. Anyone with self-confidence in their own ability would not need to bully someone out of a position they earned. They would have taken that spot using their own talents.

“Even if Mahiru left the academy, you have not one guarantee that the opening would be filled by you. And why should it, when you haven’t worked to earn it?” Her position was proof enough. Sonia had easily cornered a girl who would be near the center of the Japanese mafia in the future, and she had done so with ease. “You have a bodyguard as spectacular in all regards as Peko at your side, why have you not used her at all? It is fine to use a power base to support yourself, but do not complain when your own individual prowess comes up short.” Sonia removed her blade and stood away from Natsumi. The younger girl quickly picking herself up, a cold sweat falling from her face.

Sonia reached into her skirt pocket and tossed a photograph at Natsumi. The picture was taken at the sports festival a month before. It contained the entire class after the rally. The focus in this particular shot were of a smiling Fuyuhiko and Peko.

“That is one of Mahiru’s…I wonder if you have another photo like that. I don’t believe your Fuyuhiko smiles like that often, so you should think about how perceptive Mahiru needed to be to capture that moment with such clarity. Then consider the bias she would need to suppress to portray your brother in that positive light.” Sonia said.

Natsumi said nothing. The picture was enough.

“Mahiru is not your goal. Fuyuhiko is, so prove yourself to be his equal.” Sonia planted her arm in front of Natsumi, who still too taken aback to stand. “In fact, I will help.”

“Don’t go deciding things for yourself and didn’t you just threaten to kill me!?”

“That was, as you say, a prank. I would never truly harm a friend. Was I too convincing?” Sonia giggled.

 “Yes! Why would you think of fucking with a friend that way?”

“My friends back home played jokes like that constantly. They are brothers and aim at each other with assault rifles or grenades or poison. The younger told me that it was not out of the ordinary, especially among delinquents like yourselves.”

“He lied. He definitely lied!”

“That can’t be…” But…Abel definitely could do that.

Natsumi inched away from Sonia, getting closer to the door.

_‘She may have taken me too seriously…’_

“Why would you want to help me? Aren’t you one of Her friends?” Natsumi’s apparent confusion was warranted but very explainable.

“I am Fuyuhiko and Peko’s as well. And you are dear to them both. By extension, I consider you a friend and someone I am willing to lend a hand towards.”

“Being _your_ friend sounds like playing with knives. Not like I mind that." Much like her brother, Natsumi showed a greater appreciation and respect for actions than words. Sonia recalled the day Yukizome became their teacher. The yakuza heir had been unresponsive to her persuasions until the maid had threatened him with a knife. That was probably the falling point between Natsumi and Mahiru as well. The latter girl, while brave in heart, would never approve the use of force and would never compromise. Natsumi would see her as a coward and deserving of scorn.

From an outsider’s perspective, it was a silly misconception.

“Can I really become an Ultimate?” Natsumi asked after a time.

 “I cannot promise anything, but if you don’t make the attempt, _nothing_ will happen.” She replied. “But if you do, then I shall offer my full support.”

“As long as I leave tomato-hair, alone right?”

Sonia nodded.

Natsumi clicked her tongue . “Whatever. It’s not like I want to be anywhere near her in the first place. I’ll leave Mahiru alone, but I won’t apologize.”

“While an apology would be ideal, I did not ask you to.” It was doubtful an apology would solve anything. Mahiru’s hatred of the Kuzuryu’s went beyond squabbling. It was a disagreement with the yakuza’s way of life. Such intolerance for another’s culture could be found everywhere in this world. Neither party could hardly be faulted.

The door slid open, revealing a man in a black yukata and short, pearl-white hair

“What is it, Kigai!? We’re talking about serious shit here.” Natsumi snapped at the older man.

“Pardon my intrusion, but the madame requests Ms. Sonia’s presence.”

“Mom?”

“It is getting rather late out. I shall come visit again…” Sonia gained a flash of inspiration. “And I shall also invite you to the talent exams in the academy.” Even the reserve course students were permitted.

“Why would I want to go watch a bunch of snobs flaunt their goods?” Natsumi said. Sonia felt like pointing out her brother would be one of those ‘snobs’ but held back.

“Because they represent the goal. If you wish to be at their level, then you must first understand how far you must go.” Sonia advised.

“…Whatever, but I’m not staying long.”

“We shouldn’t keep the madame waiting.” The  man called Kigai urged.

…

Sonia trailed behind the taller man, her vision making out the wooden, traditional hallway. Just now she spotted koi fish jumping in and out of a small pond in the garden.

“Kigai Pekoyama.” The man finally spoke. His eyes were closed slits, even though he wore glasses. What was even the point?

But his last name… “You are Peko’s father.” She expertly deduced. He stopped and turned to face her with a charming smile, instantly separating himself from the picture Sonia had in mind of the stoic swordswoman’s parent.

“Yes. How is she in class? Not too anti-social, I hope.”

“She tries to be distant, but Chiaki has properly instructed the girls to never let her have a moment’s peace without our company. I have learned a lot about how endearing Peko is that way.”

“Endearing…ah you mean like her love for cats?”

That was new. “Peko adores cats?”

“Tell me I didn’t just give away my daughter’s weakness. Please forget I said that.”

“I shall make no promises.”

They laughed

…

Kigai brought her to the largest room Sonia’d seen yet. So large that she wouldn’t have been surprised to see a small assembly present in waiting. However, there was a single individual before them.  At the end of the room was a woman, roughly in her 30s, her long black hair tied into a bun and held by a delicate needle. Her kimono as red as Peko’s eyes contrasted her pale skin. “You have been here several times before, but I believe this is the first we’ve met. I am Kasumi Kuzuryu.” She neither smiled nor frowned. Only cold indifference reached the surface.

“My apologies if I have come across as discourteous.” Sonia sat on her knees, keeping a fair distance.

“No need. I am sure Fuyuhiko would have instructed you to avoid me.” She was ‘blown out’ as the saying went. “What a silly child…There is nothing in this house that escapes my notice…but I may as well let him believe otherwise.”

“Nothing? Would it be correct to say that is an exaggeration?”

“It isn’t. Which is part of the reason I called you here.”

 “Madam, didn’t you intend to appraise her? Have you run out of patience that quickly?” Kigai sat by Sonia. covering his mouth as he snickered at the matriarch “Forgive her, despite the serious face, her whimsy and temperament will never outgrow that of a child’s.” That…did seem fitting given Fuyuhiko and Natsumi’s tempers.

“Is that really something to say in front of me?” Kasumi addressed her subordinate.

“Then it would be fine if I’d warned her behind your back?” He countered.

“Do not mind that old fool. A middle-aged man who still takes joy in teasing others. Thankfully, his daughter took after her mother.” Kasumi’s gaze returned to Sonia, dismissing the callous bodyguard. “Onto the matter of daughters…are you so brazen to think you could threaten mine and leave unharmed?”

No exaggeration indeed.

 “I don’t know how you overheard our conversation, but you spared me time. Your daughter has attacked my friends and I sought to remedy the problem. My methods have brought no harm. If you take issue with my goals, then would that mean you approve of Natsumi’s ruthlessness? ”

“That is tangential.” Kasumi said. “But a Kuzuryu must be strong and decisive. Natsumi possesses those qualities in an even higher degree than her older brother. I do not intend to restrain her gifts.”

“I see. Then your negligence has become _my_ problem to deal with.”

“Now now, Ms. Sonia. We are your hosts, and I implore you show us the proper respect. You seem to understand power well, so you should also understand your disadvantageous position.” Though he sounded accommodating, Sonia wasn’t ignorant to the veiled threat.

“You posed an intriguing question to my daughter. Would we go to war for her? A question that shouldn’t need answering. What mother wouldn’t fight for her children’s sake?” Kasumi snapped her fingers. Sonia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when nothing happened. Or at least, she thought as much until her chin lowered slightly. She felt it then, a razor-sharp edge poised at her neck. Sonia turned to the side, tracing the  length of the blade to the hilt resting lazily on Kigai’s hand. “I would not mind if you died here.” Kasumi continued.

If that’s how she wanted to play it…“In that case, allow me a few words of my own.”

“Speak.”

“I do not come by friends easily. Everyone that I have met in the academy are such wonderful individuals that my presence in Japan feels like a dream. One I do not wish to wake up from. If someone wishes to disturb that dream, then they will have _me_ to face as an enemy. Do not presume that I will go down easy.”

Kigai chuckled. “I? Ms. Sonia, your logic that was so sound earlier fell apart. You would imply your life is yours alone. That is not so. The Kuzuryu would fight for one of our own, because our creed is built on family and loyalty. If one of us were to be struck down, another would take up the mantle. What about you? Do you believe just anyone could fill your shoes?”

As if in perfect synch, the baton passed to Kasumi. “The future of that country rides on you or your 800-year long history will meet its end. Your duty is always to your people, and you’ll say you’d risk your life overseas in a trivial matter?” And was passed once again to the swordsman. “The fires of youth are beautiful but take it too far and you’ll burn everything to the ground. There is nobody on this planet that has the right to accuse a mother of prioritizing her child over others. If anything, you would be considered abnormal to save the life of a stranger over your own flesh and blood.”

A small laugh left her lips “I once had a conversation like this 2 year ago. With a friend.”

“Friend?” Kasumi asked

“She’s callow, and enigmatic to the point where I wonder if I’m speaking to the same person at times. Nevertheless, she is wiser than anyone I know, including my father. When we first met, she told me the same things you did…and I struck her for it.  I do not regret doing so and I would do it again should a similar situation arise.” She sneakily drew a knife in the middle of her speech, aimed at the swordsman’s abdomen.

“I take it that is your answer?”

“Yes.”

“Ha-ahahaha.” Kigai released her with a hearty laugh. “There’s nothing I can say to conviction like that.”

“If nothing else, she knows how to speak. I can understand why Shinobu would praise you.”

Sonia gave both a surprised look. “Eh? How did you know I was referring to her?”

“That girl and I are companions of sorts. She speaks of you often. Much like how she rants about her brother, it was terribly annoying. Still, the part where you slapped her was mildly amusing, so  I was interested in meeting you to if see her words weren’t just lip-service.” Kasumi replied. Sonia flushed in embarrassment. “ I almost didn’t want to believe that blockhead Lucius could raise a child as well as you.”

_‘Father?’_

“Yes, I would say you’ve lost in this regard, madame. Not just to King Lucius but Miss. Sonia herself. She fantastically, stupendously, dare I say opportunistically, usurped the lesson you planned on ‘eventually’ teaching Natsumi.” Kigai let another secret ‘slip’.

“Hold your tongue.”

He continued speaking regardless. “You see, Natsumi’s unruly behavior is no secret to us, but her aggression and drive is something the madam believes should be fostered. Therein creating the dilemma of what to do about her tendency to assault other children while not affecting her growth.”

Kasumi sighed. “Word of advice, princess. Do not ever take a snide, talkative man as a subordinate. You’ll only live to regret it.”

“In the madame’s case, she had no choice. I was her only childhood friend and she just can’t bare to lose me.”

“Your relationship…is similar to Fuyuhiko and Peko’s.” In terms of attachment, but ultimately as different as Heaven and Earth.

“That depends on what you mean. If you are referring ring to their master/servant status, then you would be correct. It has been the duty of my family to act as protectors for the main house for generations.” Kigai’s revelation explained quite a bit.

Suddenly Peko’s fixation of serving Fuyuhiko (which only a few members of the class asides her had picked up on) made sense. “To have such close family ties, how romantic. Then there should be no problems when the inevitable occurs.” Sonia smiled. A sentiment that was not shared by the other two on the room. Instead, they were deeply confused.

““What do you mean!?””

 

-April 2009-

 

_Over the months that passed, Sonia gained a handle on the differences of the people environing her and accepted, but there were some whose beliefs she couldn’t see eye to eye with._

“Ready to go on a field trip, class?” Chisa addressed the room of rotten oranges.

“To where? Isn’t this a little sudden?” Mahiru said.

“Not far, we’re going to look for our absent Chiaki.” Chisa sported a dark smile, clawing at the desk. Chiaki had been absent for the second day in a row now and Chisa was not taking it kindly.

“Maybe she’s just sick or tired from the practice exams.” Kazuichi suggestion was quickly shot down by Peko. “Doubtful, I saw Chiaki her yesterday in the afternoon. She seemed more energetic than usual.”

“She’s energetic alright. Now saddle up or you’re all getting Fs on your final grade.”

A chorus of groans filled the room just as they filed out in a single line, with Chisa leading the pack. The instructor appeared to know exactly what she was doing, for they found Chiaki in no time. The gamer was held up by a bench, playing video games with a spiky-haired boy.

 “I’m checking them out.” Ibuki closed her eyes and raised both hands to her ears…

“We should leave.” Peko was clearly disturbed by the fact that they hid in the bushes, spying on the couple.

 “So, you say, but aren’t you following us?” Hiyoko teased.

“I am merely worried about Chiaki.”

“Then so are the rest of us, now pipe down!”

“Who’s that guy? He’s wearing the reserve course uniform.” Akane mused.

“I think he’s Chiaki’s friend. I’ve seen them hanging around lately.”

“Uwaaaah, big brother Kazuichi is soooo stupid. Everyone knows guys and girls can’t be _friends_.” Hiyoko cackled.

“Is that the truth?” Sonia asked

Mahiru shook her head. “Don’t listen to her, Sonia. She-“

“It’s absolutely true!” Chisa pushed the photographer out of the way and clasped the princess’ hands. “The relationship between the opposite sex is love or war. Sometimes it’s just fought covertly, where they pretend they don’t notice your advances. That’s when you push forward and-”

“Okay, calm down teach.” Nekomaru placed a firm grip on her shoulder, dragging her away.

 “Hey, hey. Where’s Nagito? I felt the hottie meter dip like crazy.” Teruteru rubbed his chin.

“Who cares about that weirdo? Ibuki, what are they saying?” Fuyuhiko growled.

“Nothing big, it’s just a regular convo.” Ibuki informed the gangster.

“No waaay. There’s got to be something juicy. We’ll wait all day if we have to.” Chisa shook Ibuki back and forth, till the musician frothed from the mouth.

“I feel like the purpose of this excursion has long been perverted.” Sagishi, who miraculously seemed more inconspicuous than the lot, turned around. Sonia soon followed, not all too keen on invading her friend’s privacy…even if it was a sport the majority of the class (and the teacher…) took pleasure in.

The two distanced themselves from the crowd until they found Komaeda playing with a stray cat…only for it to scratch his cheek and scamper a way. “That hurt.” He whined, pressing against the light red scars.

“Nagito, are you okay?” Sonia drew closer, offering her a helping hand

“I’m fine.” Nagito withdrew, as expected. The ashen-haired boy distanced himself from everyone else in the class from day one. Beyond his curious lucky title and tendencies to make the occasional spiel of hope, Sonia knew very little about him. The same went for everyone else who knew him.

“You had the sense to leave that farce first. Color me impressed.” Sagishi remarked.

 “It certainly was a farce. Chiaki should learn to get rid of those bad habits.” She’d rarely heard so much transparent disgust before, but Nagito managed it.

“Habits?” Sonia asked.

“Never mind. It’s probably better not said, and it’s not like my opinion’s worth much.”

“Try us. It’s not every day we get to see you so displeased.” The imposter was a man who gathered information on other identities as a hobby. It came as no surprise to Sonia that he would show interest in the thought process of the ever-elusive lucky student.

“I have no intention of watching charity be wasted on garbage. It’s unsightly.”

“Garbage?” Sagishi said, eyebrow raised in shock. “You mean that reserve course student? Does he have a poor reputation?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care either. He is a reserve course student, that is enough.”

“I do not understand.” Sonia said.

 “He’s talentless, therefore not worthy of Chiaki’s time.” Nagito explained, matter-of-factly.

“Nagito…correct me if I’m wrong, but…do you claim to hate normal people?” Sonia asked slowly.

Sagishi scoffed. “Don’t be a fool. Commoners comprise the majority of the world. You’d might as well despise all humanity.”

Nagito waved his hand back and forth, dismissing their accusation. “That’s wrong. I don’t hate him, or them. If anything, I pity their bleak, hopeless lives. Those students live like dogs, hounding and fighting each other, all just to be the one standing should the academy throw them a bone; an entry ticket to the main course. It’s to awful to be called a joke.” He laughed anyway. “Those who have talent are destined to shine brightly with hope. Those without…will never become anything. A false hope might as well be despair itself.”

Sonia felt nauseous. Even Sagishi froze in place as the weight of Nagito’s words crushed them. “I didn’t expect that from you. Those words may have held weight if they left my lips, but you? What gives you the right to discriminate against the masses when yours is a trivial talent?” The imposter – unbeknownst to Nagito – sneered, using his stolen position to retain the higher ground in the argument.

The lucky student sighed, exhaustively. “You’ve got that right. Luck is absolutely trivial, but it is still a talent. That said, my stance wouldn’t waver even if it wasn’t. All that would mean, is that I’d be one of the unworthy.”

“Like I said, you don’t get to decide that!” Sagishi snapped. Sonia could understand…to an extent. Sagishi lived with an existential complex, to the point where he considered his true self to be worth less than ordinary people, not to speak of Ultimates. To have Nagito denouncing the worth of others as he pleases…it probably wasn’t pleasant.

“Let’s drop this. It’s fine if you don’t understand.”

“Your words ring hollow.” Sonia said.

“Well, I did say at the start that this is all my worthless opinion.” Nagito replied.

 “No, you are free to believe what you wish. Everyone adheres to a different standard. I do not take a grave issue with your philosophy” Though she also what spurned that familiar mentality. “My issue is in the way you express your views, they can’t be genuine.”

“Excuse me?”

“You did not face Sagishi directly. ‘It’s fine if you don’t understand’? Should you have not have said ‘It’s fine if you don’t agree?’ You have defaulted to your beliefs as the correct one yet lack the courage to earnestly defend them. In my opinion, they are not worth very much in the first place.”

“You’re absolutely right, Sonia. I am a worthless coward…and once again, you’ve proven my point about you Ultimates. You’re cut from a completely different cloth.” Nagito laughed, giddily as he turned his back on them, walking alone to the main building.

In the end, he did not face her either.

 

-October 2009-

 

It was her birthday, marking the second that Nevermind had ever spent away from home. Sonia had spent the first alone, treating it as an ordinary day, which ironically made it extraordinary given the usual ceremonies. It was surreal to think over a year had passed since she first arrived in Japan. Time stopped for no one.

“Where are we going, Chiaki?” Sonia asked the gamer for the third time, who lazily dragged her around the school. Just like her previous inquiries, the pinkette’s answer was “You’ll see in a bit.” Eventually, the princess stopped asking. Her answer awaited her in the cafeteria.

“Happy Birthday!” Chiaki and herself were welcomed with a chorus of cheers, the cafeteria had been redecorated for the celebration.

“Is this some mistake? I was not informed there would be a party!” Sonia worried. If she’d known, she’d have worn a better dress. For someone who’d only attended glorified galas, she felt horribly underprepared. “Who is responsible for failing to deliver the notice? I will have them sorely punished. _Doubly_ so if it is Kazuichi.”

“Hey!”

Chiaki’s hand on her shoulder calmed down her frizzing nerves. “It’s a surprise party, Sonia. You’re not supposed to know about it ahead of time.” Oh…

“A surprise? What would have happened had I not shown up?” She didn’t quite understand the concept.

“That was my job. I lured you here.” Chiaki explained the deception. The gamer acted perfectly in character and left Sonia completely fooled. She would make note of it for future events.

“We had to do something special after forgetting last time.”

“I did not wish to sound self-important.” Sonia said.

“Well that’s dumb as shit” Fuyuhiko rebuked, only to receive a smack up his head from the teacher “Poor language aside, Fuyuhiko’s right. Everybody’s special on their birthday…and I gave Koichi a good talking to for going along with your request to hide it last year.”

Sonia would have to apologize to Kizakura the next time she saw him. “Thank you, everyone.”

“That’s enough out of you, now Sonia, baby, come look at the huge package I got whipped up for you.” The connotations behind eruteru’s suggestive speech went over her head, as usual.

“Gross. Why are you talking like that?” Hiyoko backed away from the chef. Sonia on the other hand, followed Teruteru, where she laid witness to one hell of a cake.

“Hey, Sonia. Can we get to the cake already?” Akane’s mouth watered at the sight.

“You know I’ll work you like crazy tomorrow to get rid of those calories.” Nekomaru glowered at Akane.

“Now see here! My cooking ain’t nuttin but healthy.” Teruteru took offense to the idea that his food was bad for the body.

“W-With that much sugar involved. I don’t think _anything_ could be called healthy.” Naturally, a health discussion dragged Mikan into the fold.

The blonde distanced herself from the war of verbal exchanges between Teruteru and Mikan/Nekomaru. Her attention now caught by a peculiar sight.

“Why is Nagito tied up?” She referred to the albino strapped to a chair with rope.

“He originally said he wasn’t going to come. He was all weird with the ‘I suck and you’re great’ yadda crap again, so we hogtied him.” Kazuichi elaborated.

“I appreciate the gesture, but why is his mouth taped shut?”

“For our sanity.” Hiyoko rolled her eyes. She now stood several ft taller and more developed after hitting a surprise growth spurt.

“Whoa cake!” Sonia looked to the new arrival. A presence that clashed with everyone else.

“Natsumi? What the heck are you doing here?” Almost everyone. Fuyuhiko ran to his little sister who’d dropped by unannounced.

“Peko told me all about it. I snuck in.” Natsumi grinned.

“She was very forceful.” Peko looked away, ashamed.

This was as much a celebration of the friendships she’d made here. She thought Natsumi had the right to be a part of it…though, the same did not apply to everyone else.

“Get those two hellions away from each other.” Gundham shuddered as Natsumi and Hiyoko glared at one another. Fearing a fight would break out, Fuyuhiko dragged Natsumi by the arm, while Mahiru did the same to Hiyoko by the ear.

“If you want to stay, you’re not picking fights.” Fuyuhiko warned his sister.

“Let it go, Hiyoko. We’re not fighting anymore.” Mahiru looked to Natsumi for confirmation. The younger Kuzuryu nodded, and the two moved to separate ends of the room. Both Mahiru and Natsumi were Sonia’s friends, but she doubted _they_ could ever feel that way about each other. However, an armistice was a welcome compromise everyone could be satisfied with.

Sonia threw a worried glance to Nagito, who she held a strong dislike for the reserve course. She found him staring at Natsumi…though not angrily. If she were to place the emotion, it was cold indifference. She had the feeling that he’d spout words Hiyoko couldn’t replicate on her best day if not for the tape preventing him form uttering any scathing remarks.

The royal approached Natsumi who stood with her family. “Have you been well?”

“Totally and uh, happy birthday.”

“Thanks. And I’m sorry you could not make it into the main course this year.”

“I’ve still got one more shot at it.” Sonia hoped that wish would come true. She’d seen the depths of Natsumi’s confidence and effort first-hand over the past months.

“I don’t even know why you’re so hung up on entering. You’ll still get the HPA title when you graduate.” Fuyuhiko frowned.

“Please refrain from prying into matters beyond your understanding, young master.” Peko folded her arms.

“Peko is right. You shouldn’t make a fool out of yourself.” Sonia agreed.

“Huh? What the fuck are you ganging on me for?”

Natsumi sighed. “It’s alright, you two. Being outrageously dense is part of an older brother’s charm.”

 _‘Is that so?’_ That topic brought on  one of Sonia’s worries.

“Speaking of family. What’d your dad get you?” Natsumi asked

“He increased my allowance henceforth to 30 million yen, telling me to spend it however I wished throughout all of Japan.”

“W-wow. How much is your allowance regularly?”

“1 million.” She answered.

Fuyuhiko scratched his hair. “That’s a princess for you. Don’t think about pulling that shit with mom, Natsumi.”

“I’m not stupid.”

She observed them bicker with fondness…and anxiety.

“Is something wrong?” The ever-astute Peko didn’t miss her mood shift.

“One of my older brothers, Abel. He usually sends me exotic items from his travels through mail. But I have not heard from him in months.” Sonia frowned.

“Well shit, I didn’t even know you had siblings.” Fuyuhiko said

“I have no blood siblings, but he decided to make me his surrogate little sister.”

“Decided? How?”

“Exactly that. He decided it one day and I went along for the rollercoaster.”

“The _ride_ …” Fuyuhiko corrected. “And I don’t think that’s how it works…”

“If he’s traveling then maybe he hit a snag or something and couldn’t make it. Nothing much to worry about.” Natsumi tried to assure her.

“You are right. It is probably nothing.” Though the nature of Abel’s occupation did little to soothe her worries.

“What about the other one?” Natsumi asked. Now if there was someone she would never have to worry about, it’d be him.

“Cain is like Peko…only with none of qualities that makes Peko a joy to be around.” A dark shadow cast on her face. “Ah,  I suppose he is nothing like her at all.”

Fuyuhiko whistled. “Poor guy’s in the doghouse.”

…

Sonia decided to immerse herself in the festivities, blocking out negative thoughts. Her friends were here celebrating themselves and her. She would only get one more chance at this again, the next year, and by the next after, she would back in Europe. This fleeting moment of happiness shouldn’t be wasted – was the princess’ decision.  She would receive a grim reminder of that.

 

-January 2010-

 

Happiness was fleeting indeed. 

_Sonia remembered being one among many clothed in obsidian. It was the natural attire for a funeral; one where Natsumi Kuzuryu’s body was laid to rest. It was a tragic affair; one involving a car accident with Natsumi ending up an unfortunate victim. It sounded like a poorly-delivered joke, right from when the distraught Peko told her of the accident, till Sonia saw Natsumi’s body with her own eyes. The Yakuza princess’ death hadn’t been immediate, but she succumbed to her wounds in the hospital several days later. For what it was worth, her family had spoken to her before her demise. The sleeping Kuzuryu’s face was peaceful, blemishes from the impact were diluted with makeup. Natsumi was lively, a fighter, an individual who thrived in chaotic environments. Seeing her in a state of peace was unnatural, and Sonia despised it. The story of a girl, who wanted nothing but to remain at her brother’s side did not deserve to end on such a cruel note, mere days after the start of the new year._

Fuyuhiko and his mother stood at the altar, a frame of Natsumi in the boy’s hands. Both wore calm expressions, saying nothing of the grief they felt. In Fuyuhiko’s case, that expression was unnatural, but in Kasumi’s, she looked no different than when Sonia conversed with her.

A hand tapped her shoulder, she turned to see the elder Pekoyama seeing her off with a smile. “Thank you for coming. I’m sure the young lady would have appreciated it.”

“Is Peko around?” Sonia noted the absence of the Kuzuryu bodyguard.

“No. She personally spoke to the madame, expressing desire to abstain from the funeral. Even though she was not under the young lady’s service, she wished to take responsibility that way. That child is hopeless.” Though he admonished his daughter, his tone carried fondness and  pride.

“This…shouldn’t have happened. A tragedy like this could have easily been avoided.”

A tearful laugh. “I wonder if that’s true.”

Sonia’s brow creased at the perceived implication. “You do not mean to say she was attacked intentionally?” An assassination wouldn’t be unheard of for members of the underground mafia.

“I cannot deny the possibility, but we have discovered nothing that would indicate intent to kill. No, this was probably an unfortunate accident.” He paused and chuckled darkly, as if recalling a spectacularly tragic comedy. “I was referring to a ridiculous story, spanning several years back. In his spare time, the late master was taken with the idea of oracles and went to see a famous fortune-teller who preached a 30% rate of success.  A swindler if I ever saw one, but the master was intrigued and wished to acquire his gifts, if they proved useful. The boy prophesized that both the young master and the young lady would perish in their teenage years. The idiot would have been better off lying. The master was known for his temper and he ordered the boy’s head upon receiving his fortune. Lucky for him, he is quite adept at running away and has yet to be caught.”

“I understand. The future can be frightening.”

“Yes. We have lost the young lady. I can only pray for the young master’s safety…of course, after doing everything in my power to assure it.”

“I cannot imagine what Fuyuhiko is going through.”

“I wish you never have to, but this is life. The young lady is not the first person dear to me and the Kuzuryu clan that I have seen pass on too early. But I will shed tears for her all the same as if she were the first and only.” True to his word, tears fell from Kigai’s eyes. “The madame’s position doesn’t allow a show of weakness. As her tool, I will do so in her stead.”

For the first time, she saw them open. Blood red irises, just like his daughter’s.

…

It pained her even more to realize that would not be the only funeral attended that month. A week later, another of HPA’s reserve course students died. A close friend of Mahiru’s, Sato, was killed on school grounds. The news shocked the student body; the story detailed that a pervert broke into the school and struck the girl with a bat. Unlike Natsumi, she died instantly.

Unlike Natsumi’s funeral, Sato’s was public, and whole class was permitted to attend. The whole class, including someone she felt awkward to be around at that particular time.

“I am surprised you came. Don’t you hate them?” Her words came off as more antagonistic than intended. She instantly regretted it, but Nagito made for too fine a target.

“I came for Mahiru’s sake. I didn’t even know Sato.” He answered honestly. Not like he’d ever lied. Sonia strangely liked that part about him.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Nagito said, suddenly, his eyes facing the rain clouds. “First Natsumi, then Sato a short while later. I don’t care less about the squabbles of the talentless folk, but our class is fond of them, so I thought I’d look into it.  From the sounds of things, those two despised each other, with Mahiru being at the center of their fighting. How convenient is it that both would be killed suddenly, within a short time-frame.”

What was he getting at? “An unfortunate coincidence.”

“…Unfortunate? Far be it from me to lecture an Ultimate but…fortune is kind of my forte. Luck is merciless sure. However, there is no such thing as coincidence.”

“That is correct.” A third voice entered the fray, drawing Nagito and Sonia’s attention to them. An old man approached, wearing the same black attire.

“You are…”

“Headmaster Tengan.” Nagito cut her off.

The old man shook his head. “Former headmaster. I retired years ago. But I am hardly the subject of concern here.” His eyes narrowed at the hope enthusiast “You are correct, Nagito Komaeda. There is no such thing in this world as coincidence, everything is fated.”

That logic again…“I have heard talk of fate before, but I cannot accept that we could have done nothing. Just a different place or a different time, they would still be with us.”

“You’ve got that wrong.” Nagito argued with her. “The karmic cycle exists. Good luck must be paid off for by equal misfortune. That’s just how the world works.”

 “There is nothing you could have done to prevent their fates. There are somethings in this world that cannot be changed. They can be postponed, the circumstances may change, however, the outcome will always be certain. Natsumi and Sato would have died no matter what you did.” Tengan added.

“You speak as if you knew exactly what would happen.” Sonia arched an eyebrow. He spoke in absolutes for an unrelated party. Sonia didn’t know why but compared to the discussion she’d had with Kigai a week before, this talk of futures and fate was almost insidious.

“Sometimes not knowing is best.” He returned with a vague answer that was just as insensible as the rest. “I was a teacher once, so I cannot help but intervene when I see children latch on to an incorrect conclusion. Do not worry yourselves. Death comes to all things, you have made no mistakes.” Tengan sounded so assured of himself as he addressed the blonde, a knowing smile on his lips. “Though fate is absolute, sometimes it can be staved off. You should be proud of yourself for altering the course of those children’s lives. Even if it only prolonged the inevitable, extending their lives by a year is no meager achievement.”

He was wrong. Not in the sense that what he was saying was incorrect, but that _Tengan himself was wrong._ Something about this man’s presence unsettled her greatly; as if she were staring at something that shouldn’t be there. Every word pouring from his mouth filled her brain with noise. Static she couldn’t understand, and she didn’t want to hear it in this first place. Sonia wanted to close her ears and filter him out.

She didn’t know if he’d caught on to her discomfort, but any doubts were wiped out when he spoke.  “I did say that ignorance is at times preferable to knowledge. It never ceases to amaze me how only so few can bear the world’s truth.”

_‘Did he…do something to me?’_

“Then tell me. What kind of powerful hope will be born from this immense despair?” Nagito asked. For someone who revered the academy as much as the lucky student, meeting an ex-headmaster was a stroke of fortune he couldn’t pass up.

“Hope born from despair?” Tengan stroked his beard, giving Nagito an inquisitive look. “I will not deny that a great hope can be born from great despair…however, that does not mean one should ever accept despair as necessary. No matter what sacrifices are made in the name of hope, they should never be forgotten…nor forgiven. People are not stepladders to reach the top. They walk besides you on the journey and guide you to new heights. You carry them with you, not cast aside.” He turned around and continued walking past them, yet his voice carried far, as if he’d stood next to them the entire time.  “I pray you are able to grasp the difference this time.”

The two teenagers stood unmoving. Sonia glanced towards Nagito who had one hand balled into a fist, and the other clutching his forehead,  looking every bit as ill as she felt. “What just happened?” He muttered weakly.

Neither Sonia or Nagito talked about what they felt, nor did they want to remember that sensation.

The feeling like they had just been cursed.

 

-February 2010-

 

_Time heals all wounds, but some healed slower than others._

A month had passed and the smothering atmosphere in the classroom showed no signs of lifting. Fuyuhiko was surprisingly in today. He barely attended class. Peko followed suit for a time, but eventually started showing up regularly as well. Mahiru’s recovery was slow as well. She and Sato must have been closer than Sonia thought.

“I have an idea.” Chiaki proposed one morning when they sat besides each other.

“To ease tensions, I presume? What do you in mind?”

“I discussed it with Instructor Yukizome and the school.  You’ll hear about it when she gets here.” Sonia stiffened at the mention of the school. Knowing that Chiaki was the class represented, she assumed the gamer’s plan extended to administration level.

“We’re going on a field trip.” Yukizome announced the instant the bell stopped ringing.

Kazuichi groaned, every bit as unenthused as the others. “Again? Chiaki’s right here.”

“What?” Chiaki tilted her head to the side. Sonia assured her it was nothing worth worrying about.

“Not that. We’re going on an actual field trip with the senior class. Attendance is mandatory. I don’t care what plans you’ve got, it’ll be cancelled.” It was more of an _order_ than a notice.

“Count me out.” Nonetheless, Fuyuhiko resisted. A far from unforeseen outcome. Yukizome evidently thought the same, as she replied with “I already spoke with all your parents, and they gave me the okay. _Your_ mother expressly told me she’d cut off two of your fingers if you refused. I’m not sure how serious she was about that.”

Very serious, judging from the yakuza’s furious reaction. He spluttered words incoherently as his face turned a bright red.

“I think the trip will be a nice change of pace.” Chiaki drew the class’ attention, especially Fuyuhiko’s. “I don’t think staying in school is doing anybody favors. If we want to move on, maybe a change of environment can help.”

“Who said shit about wanting to move on!?” Fuyuhiko roared with anger. Usually, Chiaki was among the ones exempt from his outburst out of respect; had it been anyone else, and he may have grown violent. Such was the sore nature of the matter at hand.

“You misunderstand.” Nobody realized this more than Peko, who’d made that proclamation. “Nobody is telling you to forget your sister and Natsumi would not want that. However, that is neither here nor there. You have made no progress. Stewing in your own regret and self-pity, is not how the future head of the Kuzuryu clan should act.”

“Did you know about this…Is that why you made me show up today?” Fuyuhiko shot her a look of betrayal, but Peko remained steadfast. Ironically, she’d kept up the act of being disconnected to the Kuzuryu clan just as Fuyuhiko wished.

“I agree with them.” The next was – to everyone’s surprise – Mahiru. The photographer who’d grown quiet and reserved over the past few weeks.

“Now this is rich. Even you’re going to preach to me about my sister!? I bet you’re glad she’s dead, you fucking hypocrite!”

“Shut the-“ Hiyoko, who’d immediately conscripted an army of insults to war on Fuyuhiko was silenced prematurely when Ibuki clamped a hand over her mouth. “Not right now.” The musician said, her lack of humor unbefitting to any who knew her.

Mahiru stared at Fuyuhiko passively. She dealt with her pain in a different way from the gangster, having nobody to blame but herself, she was too emotionally drained to enter a battle of words. If Fuyuhiko’d been a once dormant volcano in the process of erupting, Mahiru was a glacier, frozen to the core.  She simply said what she felt. “I did hate her. What else should I have felt towards a thug?”

“She wasn’t a goddamn thug!  Call her that one more time and I swear to God-“

“To you, maybe.” Mahiru continued despite his outrage. “I have no idea what kind of angel you thought she was, but I was the one who had to deal with the cruel side of her, _for years_. The side that didn’t suck up to you. I think I have the right to say I know just as much as you did.”

“What the fuck are you talking about!?” Fuyuhiko screamed. “What angel!? That girl did whatever the hell she wanted, without a care in the world. I’ve seen crooks with more sense and compassion. Don’t you dare fucking act like I didn’t know her. She was my goddamn sister!” He slammed his fist against his desk, the furniture threatening to shatter under the weight of his emotion imbued in each strike. “Even if she was a fucking mess of a human being, Natsumi was my sister.” He croaked, droplets of tears falling onto the desk’s surface.

The class went into an uncomfortable silence, the sounds of droplets falling were all too audible.

“If you knew that much about Natsumi…” Mahiru looked away, holding her camera. The crying boy earned no sympathy from her. “Then you should also know that tyrant would be disgusted by you right now.”

Fuyuhiko slammed his desk to the side, a sickening crash that made Sonia want to block her ears. Without a word or glance to anyone else in the room, he stepped out.

Peko stood and followed him, only stopping by the door to deliver the message. “Fuyuhiko will attend the trip.”

Yukizome nodded, then looked to the others. “I trust there won’t be objections?”

Teruteru raised one hand. “Where are we going?” Huh…nobody had asked that yet. She hadn’t even remembered.

“Oh right. We’re going to Jabberwock Island. It’s been reserved for all of us.”

“Where’s that?” Kazuichi asked.

“A state of the art international resort.” Sagishi answered, touching his glasses. “Booking a reservation for one would cost no small amount of money.”

“If it’s expensive, that means it good right?” For some reason, Hiyoko asked her instead of Sagishi, who she’d dubbed ‘Sir Ham Hands.’

“I have never been, but I have only heard good things about the resort. There are 5 islands that, each with their own charm and attractions.” Sonia explained.

“Then sign me up!” Hiyoko cheered. “You’re definitely going too, big sis?”

“Yes.” Mahiru smiled listlessly, her hand resting gently on Hiyoko’s head. It was a heartwarming sight, if only for the discrepancy in Hiyoko’s size now and when their school year began.

Sonia faced Chiaki. “Do you think your plan worked?”

The class president hummed, before voicing her thoughts. “I can’t say. It all depends on everyone else. Still, I have hope that things will get back to normal. It might be selfish of me, but I want to play video games with everyone again, just like we used to.” Chiaki drew focus to the console in her hand.

Sonia didn’t think it was a selfish wish at all. At the very least, the princess would be just as selfish as the gamer for wanting the same, despite her friends’ turmoil. “Then I too, have faith that this trip will be a success.” She would pray for that outcome with all her might.

It was a false hope.

If she had known beforehand what fate awaited them, she would have fought against Chiaki’s, done everything in her power to keep them away from that accursed island.

Anything.

 

-May 2010-

 

_When was it she first noticed the abnormalities? It was almost immediately after they disembarked on the island._

“Fuck off!” She’d heard that chilling voice, along with a yelp. She went over to check what the commotion was about, only to see Chiaki on the ground. A boy, Hajime Hinata, standing over her. Not menacingly, but dismissively. Like he’d just swatted a fly and paid it no further heed. It clashed greatly from what (admittedly little) she knew of the reserve course student. Chiaki, at least, considered him a close friend and the gamer was nothing if not a good judge of character.

Sonia would have thought otherwise at this time

 “This isn’t fair. There are too many. I-I!” The jittering boy’s crimson eyes moved rapidly in every direction, as if surrounded by demons. She’d seen men at gunpoint under less hysteria.

 Hajime walked past her, continuing to speak, not to Sonia for he barely noticed her presence. The only audience was himself. He inhaled one sizable breath “I’m tired. This time, I’ll win, no matter what it takes.” Hajime spoke as if he was possessed.

The last words she heard sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t hear the fear from before, nor the panic or excitation. His voice turned dreadfully cold, and monotone. The reserve course spat out two sets of names without context. No further description or addition would do his emotions justice.

Junko Enoshima and Makoto Naegi.

 _Like a snowball effect, more began to change without warning_.

___

“Nagito?” Sonia spotted him giggling to himself. He was a loner by choice. Some of her classmates even thought him dangerous due to the chaos that often befell him. As of late, he’d behaved more strangely than ever before.

“It’s you. Good timing, mind if I asked you a question?” At all times. In every known instance. Every interaction with the Ultimate Lucky Student, he treated her like a queen. The same went for all the Ultimates at the academy. Whereas he looked at everything other else as if they were worth less than dirt. 

“Have you ever felt like you could do anything when you were a kid?” However, right now, he neither revered nor gazed  upon her with disdain. In her eyes, she was now perfectly average.  “Even if you have, as far as I remember, I haven’t.” He didn’t even wait for an answer. “Normal humans are burdened with hard limits, the most they can achieve is mediocrity. Comparatively, Ultimates are a different breed, they can do anything they put their mind to.” She’d heard it before- “That’s what I used to think. I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

That caught her off guard. Nagito’s beliefs were unassailable. Nobody, even Chiaki and Yukizome, had ever gotten him to budge on his views. “We all have limits to what we can do, Nagito. Ultimates are no exception. We are still human.” Just like those without talent.

“I see. The answer really was that simple all along.” Nagito laughed in resignation. “I wonder if we’ve had this conversation before. I only remember some parts and I guess you don’t remember anything, huh.”

Sonia furrowed her brows. “Are you alright?” Mentally speaking of course.

Nagito expressed disappointment at her reply. “I thought you of all people would understand…but it’s fine if you don’t. You can disappear without knowing…” The tall male froze as those words unintentionally left his mouth. “What do you know, Tengan was right. Ignorance is bliss.”

He broke into laughter. “He cursed both of us, so why am I the only one who remembers? Is it Hajime’s fault?”

That was enough. “Nagito…you are not well. Please accompany me to see Mikan.”

“…I feel unbearably tired of this game.”  He straightened out his green jacket, given her an exhausted smile. “So, let’s make this the last.” Sonia got the distinct feeling that this was a one-sided conversation. Nagito was not talking to her. “I still have a soft spot for you guys, so do your best to stay alive.”

He walked away. Gazing at his retreating back, Sonia deliberated with herself, thinking if she should have stopped him then. “One way or another, I’ll win. I’ll erase despair, I’ll defeat Enoshima. Even if I have to sacrifice my life to do it. No, even if I have to blow up this entire island and everyone on it.”

_Nagito vanished without a trace after that, but he wasn’t the only ghost on the island._

__ __

Kazuichi had been more or less a ghost during our stay on the island. For weeks, he only showed up to breakfast and dinner, otherwise was absent for the rest of the day.  At times he missed both. Eventually, even Yukizome began to worry and instructed Sonia to bring dinner to the mechanic on the fifth island.  It began raining on the way over, though the mist did nothing to protect her lungs with the thick gas that filled the air. The 5th island’s gas emissions were much less sanitary than she’d heard.

 She entered the large factory meeting open space and machinery as far as the eye could see, but no sign of Kazuichi. Her search led her up the flights of stairs, until she saw It. Her legs nearly gave out when she saw the sheer size of the abomination held in the hangar.

“Ms. Sonia, you’re not supposed to be here.” She snapped her head back to see Kazuichi standing behind. “Huh, that grub? Hey thanks, I haven’t slept or eaten in days.” He laughed, but she knew that was no exaggeration, if his bloodshot eyes were of any indication. His clothes were also messier than she’d ever seen.

“Kazuichi…what is this?” Her voice shook.

“Hm? Oh, you mean Jabberwock. Cool right? the school was so impressed by my practical exam results, that they contracted me to build one of their designs. I think it just might be my masterpiece.” He stretched his arms out in manic pride.

“I-is it safe?”

“What’d you mean?” Was he so far gone that he couldn’t detect her fear?

“Is it dangerous?” She snapped.

“I wish. I couldn’t even get the prototype to work. Sorry but Jabberwock’s all show and no tell. It’ll never activate without installing a mainframe or an artificial intelligence.”

_ _ _

 

_The killings began in earnest. What was initially mistaken as random disappearances spurned mass hysteria, reaching its peak when the first body was discovered. After that, more and more of students disappeared. Her class was no exception. A wolf had entered this den of sheep. And who better to suspect than the odd one out?_

“It’s that Hinata freak. If you don’t want to die next, you’ll join me and catch that little shit!” Ruruka Ando from the senior class proposed such extremes, and many joined her, thinking the talentless reserve course student had lost his mind and gone on an Ultimate hunt.

. The situation escalated for the worse, panic turned a search for one man into a witch hunt. And those always ended the same way.

_If there was a point of no return, it was when they failed to silence Ando using whatever means available. They paid for that indecision with flames and a bloodbath Everyone else was either gone or she had seen dead with her own eyes._

“Lie down You’re not feeling well.” Chiaki warned, grabbing onto the blonde’s shoulders and . This was the point where her memory was faintest. She wasn’t cognisant of her surroundings. She remembered being forced to lie down on a hard surface, the harsh drizzle of rain and the thick dried blood on her hands and clothes.

“Use this.” Chiaki placed a wet towel on her forehead. It was lukewarm, but they hardly had room for such luxuries.

“I’m fine. I can’t stop.” She was delirious, but not so much that she would she let her guard down, that would spell the end for her.

Sonia couldn’t let that happen, her country needed her. If she fell, then her family’s dynasty would be jeopardized. She didn’t want to die, so she had to do whatever it took to live.

“We’ll get out of this.”  Chiaki lied down next to her

Sonia turned her head to the side to face the other girl,  in disbelief at the pinkette words, so utterly out of place and contradictory to the hell they’d wandered into.

Chiaki must have sensed her doubt “Even if it sounds crazy. I-I still have hope.” Sonia had witnessed nothing but insanity. Everyone else had already lost their minds, betraying one another in the height of their despair. Their friends were no exception. Sonia and Chiaki were all that was left as far as they knew. Yet she still spoke those platitudes…despite everything she’d lost…or was it an attempt to deceive her?

The blonde had already seen enough betrayal for a lifetime occurring in a matter of hours. And by those who considered themselves dear. She didn’t know what drove them insane, but they were definitely not in their right minds. Who was to say Chiaki would be any different?

How could Sonia prove her friend would not turn against her? Chiaki _appeared_ calm, but she couldn’t have been after what happened to Hajime.

Whilst they lied together, all Sonia could think about was whether she would be deceived. She didn’t let herself blink once. Even if Chiaki was sane now, what was stopping that from changing later? Nothing, she had no guarantee.

She…couldn’t trust Chiaki. She couldn’t trust anyone.

If she would be betrayed anyway…then she would act first. The blonde gathered her resolve, waiting for the soonest opening.

It came when Chiaki dozed off to sleep. She was lethargic by nature, and the events of the day finally drained whatever strength the gamer had left. She was vulnerable now.

As those thoughts entered her head, more flooded in without end and Sonia’s vision turned red. Her arms moved without hesitation, slowly reaching for the defenseless girl’s neck.

Chiaki’s skin was every bit as soft as Sonia envisioned.

She was grateful to the class rep, her first friend in Japan. Always reliable and always sincere. If Sonia could have lasted this long with anyone, she was happy it was with Chiaki.

Sonia convinced herself that survival was the motive, yet looking back, she wouldn’t have minded dying right then and there, being free of the burdens that plagued her since childhood. This night had disillusioned her faith in people, her perspective on reality, however at that moment, there was something more important than her life or the fate of Novoselic.

What had driven the royal to do the deed was fear, but not of death or self-preservation. It was a far more selfish desire. She hadn’t realized it then…that she merely wished to preserve the last vestiges of her sanity; the proof that the relationships she’d made these past 2 years weren’t lies.

_In her cowardice, she wanted to protect the memory of the Chiaki Nanami that would never betray her._

 

_ _ _ _

**G A M E O V E R**

**PRESS TO RESTART**

 

-6 Years Ago-

 

 

Sonia Nevermind was groomed to be Queen from birth. She had never known want or mediocrity, anything and everything she desired was readily prepared – the many attendants of the royal line saw to that. But the same was true even outside the castle walls. The people of Novoselic showed her unparalleled kindness and respect; grown men bent the knee to a child like herself.

One day, she deigned to ask why before her father, King Lucius Nevermind.

The king let out a hearty laugh at her inquiry, shaking the throne he sat on. “That is only natural, Sonia. They are your future subjects, both to lead and to protect. This world is built upon equality and reciprocity. For centuries, our family has given them hope and they, in turn, have rewarded us with reverence.” The monarch left his royal seat and approached his daughter, resting his palm gently on her soft hair.

“Never forget your place, Sonia. You are the princess of Novoselic first and foremost. Your duty is always to our people, regardless of where you are or whom you become.”

“Yes, father.”

For many years, Sonia adhered to that ignorant lifestyle. She never complained, never desired more, nor did she find her royal treatment out of the ordinary. A fish who only knew the ocean waves, should not contemplate what laid outside the ocean’s boundaries. But Sonia was a girl afflicted by boundless, almost unnatural curiosity. She dreamed of the outside world she had never seen and the scope of her interests were vast, extending the customs and thought processes of the morally disinclined.

Mere days before her 14th birthday; a national holiday to be celebrated by the entire nation at that. Festivities were set to occur for the whole week. The preparations that went into the ceremony were stressing. She was glad to have been granted a break from her instructors, even for a few minutes. Sonia wandered off to the outskirts of the castle for fresh air and found  _him_  there. He was too old to be called a child, but not old enough that society would consider him a man. His features were striking; pale skin, ashen-blonde hair, a black military trench coat, and – upon directing his gaze towards her – steely black eyes. He…did not give off the aura of a civilian, nor had she ever seen him in the castle before.

Sonia briefly considered that he might have been a kidnapper (she would rather not go through such tedious ordeals again.), but that thought was shot down after he turned away, paying her no further attention.

“An auspicious day, isn’t it?” Sonia cordially greeted the older male.

“…No different from all the others.” The stranger’s voice was rough and elicited disinterest.

“…It is mere days my birth week.” Sonia stated matter-of-factly, as if a revering connotation should naturally follow suit. However, the boy gave her look that said, ‘So what?’

“Are you…not from here?” The Nevermind princess asked, confused

“No. I was born here. Though I haven’t stepped foot on this soil in a long time.”

“But you must know who I am.” Sonia didn’t give immediately her name. It was a matter of a matter of principle.

“…Sonia Nevermind.” He said. “I don’t know what you want but if you’re itching to play master and servant, go find your  _actual_  servants. You haven’t done a thing to earn my subordination.”

He exuded a staggering amount of hostility for someone he’d never met. Additionally, there was a misconception that Sonia felt be corrected. “You were born here, were you not? By that token alone, you  _are_  my subject.”

“Novoselic is just the land I was conceived on, it doesn’t define me.” With little more than a condescending glare, the boy  _walked away._

Sonia flinched at the remark. By all account, he had the appearance of a commoner…yet she could feel a suppressed dignity coming from him. Nevertheless, hat detail was irrelevant to her current state of mind.

That level of disrespect was unfounded in her experience. Nobles from all around Novoselic would give up fortunes just to get in her good graces. Even her previous captors treated her as one would an esteemed (albeit unwilling) guest. In lieu of their deference, even in insurrection, some were granted pardons or a stay of execution. However, this boorish stranger dared to spit on her lineage. Was that not the same as trampling on the dignity of Novoselic itself?

The princess was consumed by a quiet anger. She was a lady and even more, she was royalty. Sonia would not allow her actions to be ruled by base emotions, thus her indignation was easily suppressed...That would normally be the case, however Sonia was led by another force this time. It was an unmistakable emotion that drove every child, regardless of status or gender. Curiosity, that is to say: a thirst for adventure and to perceive the unknown.

 _‘By my family’s name, I will make him reconsider his words, then grant him a suitable punishment.’_  Sonia let that excuse carry her into the expansive woods as she trailed behind the man in secret

 _ _ _ _ _

 

 

-Present-

 

The scene was a small sized room. The noise from the heart-monitors audible throughout every corner. Cables and wires were hooked to a queen-sized bed that occupied most of the space. There were 4 humans in the room. A woman with long, unkempt blonde hair rested, her back against the headboard and her skin deathly pale. All her dull eyes recognized was the old, portable game console on her hands. The screen was cracked, the batteries long dead, and the pads and buttons breaking down from over-wear. Her hands covered in bandages pressed down on the buttons as if the device was fully operational.

“She’s comatose, sir.” Said one of the most expensive doctors in the world, yet his diagnosis was no different than that of a common hospital’s.

“There must be something you can do.” Lucius Nevermind said, impatiently. In a mere 2 years, his looks had aged by a decade.

The doctor shook his head. One among many who’d done the same.

It was unbearable to watch this farce go on any longer. Poignant it may have been.

“Haven't you had enough yet?” Cain said,  “You have tried tirelessly, but the result will always be the same.”

“And why is that!?” The king roared.

“She won’t wake, because she doesn’t want to.” It was that simple.

…

“Leave us.” Nevermind ordered the doctor. The small man ducking out of the room as fast as he could. Smart, the king’s tolerance wasn’t quite what it used to be.

“This wasn’t what Tengan promised.” Nevermind stood over his daughter’s catatonic form. “He said that the Nevermind family would prosper forever. Why did it turn out this way?”

“I am not equipped to answer that question.”

“How can you be so indifferent? Don’t you remember? Your own brother died for one of his schemes. Along with Fenrir!”

Well, that was true. That little menace got himself killed during Mukuro Ikusaba’s crusade against the mercenary group, Fenrir. All according to Tengan’s design.

But that was irrelevant as far as he was concerned. “If you’re looking for an emotional reaction out of me, you’re wasting your time and it isn’t necessary. I am a soldier. I take orders, no matter what they are. You know this.” That robotic mindset is what made Cain a favorite of the Novoselic king. His trust in others had wavered substantially since his daughter’s incident. What he needed now was someone who obeyed him unquestionably. Someone as dull and boring as Cain.

“You are running out of time. Make your decision quickly or your chance will pass you by.” Assuming revenge was what he wanted. It wouldn’t be long before the next killing game on Jabberwock island began in earnest.

“I need to think.” Lucius walked towards the door, giving his daughter a solemn gaze before leaving.

Now there were only 2 left in the room and strangely enough, neither were particularly lively. That makeshift family of three (decided by his little brother without taking their opinions into account) was reduced to one in the span of a few months. It was an uncomfortable sight to see that annoyingly energetic and persistent reduced to this pitiful state.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Abel?” Cain said. Behind him stood a dirt blond hair, a Chinese-styled kimono and a hole the size of a bullet in his chest. Despite the ‘new’ arrival, the number of humans in the room had not increased. The cadaver did not respond. While it was capable, it only followed direct orders. An order to think for itself was impossible. It was the limit of his **[Batallion]** , the ability granted to him; one he’d used 6 years ago to quell the rebel army.

Cain sighed. Even he would admit to loneliness when it slapped him in the face.

His eyes narrowed at a fractured game console in Sonia’s hand. If there was proof that the princess still lived, that was it. When he’d found her…or rather, when Shinobu  _delivered her_ to him, that device was the one thing that she held onto. Even he could not rip it away from her…and not for a lack of trying.

Cain grunted in displeasure, turning away from the bed and moving towards the exit. The sight made him sick to his stomach. He was different from the king, who had merely ruled all his life. Cain knew what Sonia must have done to survive. Any soldier would know, and they would also know the nightmares that awaited them afterwards; torture of their own making. The inability to forgive themselves for their wrongdoings.

Some, like himself, were skilled at burying their demons. For others…sometimes, stepping away from reality was their salvation. If could be saved in those dreams, then perhaps it was best that she never woke up again.

Thus, only one remained, the sounds of clicks were all that could be heard. A callow, worthless woman who only knew how to preach platitudes. Never worthy of royal status. Her once sky-blue irises were an empty blood red, trapped in those ephemeral 6 years of the past. That period was the height of her short life, for better and worse. These past 2 years, she’d spent comatose, she repeated that half decade, endlessly wading through the joys and horrors of each experience. Including the tragedy that occurred on Jabberwock island. She wouldn’t permit herself rest. She would repent forever by reliving the nightmare.

That was her punishment game. One that wouldn’t end until she died.

She had no complaints. The truth of it was that…

_‘I…died back then, along with everyone else.’_

 


	21. Cogito, Ergo Sum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an exposition heavy chapter, so feel free to ask me to explain whatever I left unclear and I'll try my best to clarify.

 “Izuru Kamukura.” The black-haired man was in the middle of the most unenthused introduction Makoto had ever heard.

“…are you one of Enoshima’s friends?” He said, slowly inching towards the door. If things went south, he’d want to be where he could make a break for it. He still felt the kick Enoshima planted in his gut.

“…You believe she is capable of having comrades?”

“Fair enough.” Makoto stared Kamukura down and moved forward with the second most appropriate question. “Whose side are you on?”

The taller male’s expression shifted ever so slightly. “She told me you were more naïve and trusting than this.” ‘She’ probably meaning Enoshima.

“Oh…sorry, I just thought…” He scratched his neck. Maybe he was too hasty. After all, it’s not like _Chisa_ was with Enoshima either.

“She wasn’t quite off the mark then.” Okay, Makoto was sure that one was an insult. “I’ve made it clear I am no ally of Enoshima’s, and to my knowledge, I’ve done nothing to grant the insinuation that I am yours either.”

Neutral then. Could be worse.

“You need something?” Makoto asked.

Kamukura didn’t bother with snarky remarks this time. Instead he said something far more unsettling. “An actor’s job is to entertain the audience. I am bored. You can piece together the rest.”

_…Bored?_

Makoto had to double-take. “Entertainment? You think this is a _game_?”

“I was very literal with my terminology. I am part of the _audience_ , while you and your classmates are the actors. _Your endeavors are broadcasted to the theatre so that we may observe from start to finish.”_ Kamukura said in a tone like he was second-guessing his conversational partner’s intelligence. _“_ Were you unaware?”

Makoto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Enoshima had to be watching him from somewhere, but Kamukura made it sound like they’d made it into primetime television! “I…You were watching? And you found **_that_** entertaining?”

“Must I repeat myself?”

Makoto felt his anger bubble slowly. “We’re _not_ your opening act. None of you have any right to debase us like this!”

“I have every right.” Kamukura dismissed his indignation as a trifle, as easily as blowing out a candle. His voice remained monotonous, however there was an inexplicable intensity that held Makoto in place, and the next thing he knew Kamukura disappeared from vision. Makoto’s head snapped to the left, finding Kamukura stationed with his hand on the doorknob, as if he’d never moved. The man towered over Makoto in close proximity – His black garments and impractically long hair made him seem like a writhing shadow.

 “I’ve paid in no small increments to view Enoshima’s supposed masterpiece. I won’t be denied what I was promised.”

Enoshima promised him something...He really couldn’t trust this guy.

 “I will neither advance nor delay your attempts at stopping her. Your chances of victory are slim enough as it is to bother with the latter, in any case.”

“Swell.” Makoto retorted sarcastically.

“…Enoshima has a high opinion of you.” That caught Makoto’s attention. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that witch wanted with him.

“What’s her deal?” He groaned.

Kamukura opened the door slowly. “Much like yourself, I cannot fathom why and there are few things I do not know. The unknown intrigues me, thus I wish to understand, with my own eyes, what makes you so special.” He stepped out of the room, yet his parting words were audible enough to not make a difference. “Do not disappoint me, Makoto Naegi. I expect a great deal from you.”

Makoto stood there, unsure of what to make of that…interaction. Expecting great things? Get real, he was just a regular guy. If he wants entertainment, then why doesn’t he take on Enoshima?

“Upupupupu, someone sure is popular~” An _irritating_ voice disrupted his thoughts. Makoto took a deep breath and wrenched his neck backwards to glower at Monokuma. The dumb animatronic making itself at home on (what was technically) his bed, lying on it’s stomach, paws on both sides of its face and legs kicking back and forth in the air.

“How’d _you_ get in here?” He muttered

“Magic.” Was this going to be a thing? He hoped not. And If this is where being popular got him, then he wanted none of it.

“Izzy’s right about one thing. You’re pretty chill for a twink that just got mangled by a Metal Gear reject.”

“Mangled?” Makoto blinked, what’d he mean by that?

“Yeah.” The bear placed a paw to its mouth, snickering to itself. “It was _so_ bad, we had to cut to commercial and off-screen your death. Can you _believe_ this story’s rated general? Someone ought to fix that.”

“Can you start making sense?”

Monokuma hopped off the bed, approaching him with a deadpanned look “What, you really don’t remember?”

“Not really. I remember we got Taka and...there was something…big. Was it Jabberwock?” He squinted trying to recall his final memories from the last iteration.  The monster’s figure escaped him.

“Repressed trauma, eh? That’s fine. Wouldn’t want you to break too quickly anyway.”

“I don’t need to hear that from you.” He muttered, ignoring the bear’s laughter.

“I’d say go to the 4th floor, but you already met Izzy. He was soooo excited to finally meet you that he couldn’t even wait.” Monokuma said. Kamukura was the resident on the 4th floor…

No reason to go there then. “I’ll go see Chisa.” At least there was one person in this hellhole that was worth talking to.

“What about Lady Enoshima?”

Makoto stared at the bear in abject confusion. “Why the _fuck_ would I want to see _her_?”

“Sheesh, spoken like a guy who doesn’t know how to handle aggressive women. Guess something’s never change, even if the hoodie’s _slightly_ different.” Monokuma shook its head in disappointment. “Lady Enoshima’s the jealous type, eggy. You ignore her for another busty babe and she might just lose it…You don’t want that.”

“…Whatever. I have a few words to say to her anyway.” Makoto steeled himself, getting ready to meet the vilest person he’d ever had the misfortune of encountering. But before that… “Could you leave? I need to get changed.” He told the bear, remembering he was still in pajamas.

“And miss the strip show? Why would I ever?”

Makoto shot the animatronic a fierce glare.

“Geez fine. Buzzkill.” The bear kicked air as it scampered out of the room.

Makoto locked the door behind him, and scanned the room, looking everywhere; be it under the bed or even in the drawers.

“Okay…this time, there’s nobody here.” He sighed, _finally_ feeling comfort in privacy. He took his clothing off, and reached for his casual outfit…

“Nice butt.”

Makoto turned slowly to see the bear perched like a stuffed animal on a desk.

Goddamit! “How did you get back in!?”

He asked, already knowing the answer. The shit-eating grin on the bear practically gave it away.

“Magic.”

 

\---

 

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Junko Enoshima, was as eloquent as ever. Makoto found her in the cafeteria skimming through a giant notebook. Her eyes lighting  up as soon as he crossed her sights, instantly making him regret listening to the bear. She picked up on his stark discomfort and…there you have it.

“None of your business.” He replied.

“As someone with a P.H.D in Makoto bullying, I’m afraid to say finding out the source of any and all your suffering is _literally_ my business.” Enoshima donned spectacles. “Isn’t it great when you can enjoy your job?”

“What’s with the book?” He motioned to the sizable, black encyclopedia of a novel laid on the table.

A wicked glint shone in her eyes. “You’re curious, right? Come on, tell me you are.” She pressed against him.

“Uh…never mind. I don’t care.” He said, pushing her away.

Enoshima folded her arms, puffed her cheeks and looked to the side. “Suit yourself. Here I was going to tell you about the script for the next game if you got on your knees and begged.”

...Yeah right. “Like I should believe a word you say.” He snarled.

“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You lied.” He cut to the chase.

“…Come again.” She said, puzzled.

“You said I only had to watch out for your despairs. So, what was that monster?”

“…Oh, _that’s_ what you meant.” Enoshima blinked, earning a confused look from Makoto. What else could he have meant? “Yeah…that wasn’t my idea.” She said.

“Bullshit!” Makoto yelled.

“I’m _not lying._ Robo-beasts are soooo SDR2. I’m not some hack that’d pull the same trick twice. If you want to blame anyone, blame Hope’s Peak Academy.” Enoshima blew at her nails, denying any responsibility for Jabberwock.

Makoto shifted “The school?”

“Uh, yeah. They’re the ones who built the thing, and the ones making Chihiro put the finishing touches on. Honestly, Jabby isn’t even on my radar. What’s fun about having some dumb piece of metal to scrap all of you? That’d make for C-grade despair at best.” Enoshima made an overexaggerated yawn. “If it bothers you so much, then get Chihiro to stop before Jabby’s finished. No big deal.”

“Assuming I _remember_.”

“Your problem. I can’t do everything around here. Oh wait, I can. I won’t though.”

Makoto sighed, realizing any further talk was fruitless. He turned around without another word, intent on crossing the doors and bidding this excuse of a woman, a silent goodbye. Or that was the plan, until Makoto realized there was no exit.

“Where’s the door? I just came this way.” He panicked, then faced Enoshima, who’d fallen back to her seat.

“Who said we were done talking? Come on, you’re with a super hot ex-model. The least you can do is tell me about yourself before we have dinner.” Enoshima said, feigning a pout.

“If you wanted to learn about me, couldn’t you just ask normally?”

Enoshima directed him to sit across her. Seeing as he hadn’t much of a choice, he obliged. There wasn’t any reason to put up resistance on an unnecessary front.

“Just play along. And if you tell me, then I’ll probably do the same. Knowledge helps here more than you think.”

“I don’t even know what you want to hear, or what you want from me. I’m an ordinary, average guy-“

“There it is.” Enoshima cut him off, her features drowning in mirth. “I’ve heard it all before. You’re a guy that could be found anywhere on the planet. Only worth slightly more than garbage.”

_‘Don’t remember saying anything about garbage.’_

“Then why is it that I – through half-baked attempts – conquered all those special, extraordinary humans but kept losing to you?” Enoshima convulsed, drool slipping from her lips.

She’s crazy!

“Just tell me. We’ve come this far and I already know what you’re capable of. Why not let me in on the secret? Like your bad streak. How does it work?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He said.

Enoshima stared at him for a time, then sighed. “Fine be that way. Not like it really matters, since I’m the hands-on type anyway.”

“Hands-on?”

“Guess it’s my turn to answer. I’m a bit of a deviant, you see.” ‘A bit’ she says. “I can’t connect with anything that hasn’t experienced despair the way I have. Even if you told me all about yourself…I wouldn’t really understand, not past a surface level of comprehension. Not until I’ve broken and dissected you.”

“You…need better hobbies.” Makoto’s unreserved behavior towards his captor and torturer was in part because of an anger he had difficulty controlling. He didn’t get angry with people, but Enoshima was forcing him to explore sides of himself he never wanted to. The other part was his belief that she needed him to play this atrocious game and would restrain herself from harming him.

That safety net was crumbling away under her gaze. If he could liken the look she was giving him to anything, it was a boy’s anticipation to splitting a frog for the first time and seeing what was inside. In that vein, Enoshima may have chosen her words aptly.

Right now, Makoto’s instincts were screaming at him to run away.

“I’ve tried it all and nothing works. Things that have no potential for despair…are just too disappointing.” Her lips twitched upwards, forming a malicious smile “But you, and the others down there – save one – have never disappointed me. That’s why I can never leave you alone."

“Are you even listening to yourself? You sound like a stalker!” There was that hatred again. She shamelessly admitted to ruining lives just for her own satisfaction. How rotten could you get? “You’re a psychopath. Me, my friends and all the rest. We all struggle to find happiness in our daily lives. Why should any of us suffer just so you can get a damn high!?” Makoto couldn’t approve of her actions, and it was made worse for the fact that there wasn’t a shred of productivity in it. Nobody gained anything purposeful from despair.

He breathed heavily. There wasn’t any point talking after all. He would never see the eye to eye with this girl. She needed _desperate_ psychiatric attention. That point only further supported by the fact that Enoshima didn’t appear the least perturbed by his condemnations. Instead, she wore a serene smile on her face.

“Hmm…not quite up there with your usual stuff, but I suppose you’re not at your former level yet either. Even back then, it took 5 trials to get you going. I’d say you still need to experience quite a bit more despair, maybe 2 or 3 more times.” Enoshima stewed in her own insanity. Makoto wondered if she was even speaking to him. At the very least, she didn’t listen to a word he said.

“Sorry but you won’t get that many. Next time, I’ll win.” He swore.

“Want to know who else boasts like that? Gambling addicts, and everyone knows how those stories turn out.” Enoshima mocked. “Whatever, this’ll have to tide me over till then. Now skedaddle, bi-atch!” Enoshima assumed her most crude persona. And Makoto wasn’t afraid to heed _this_ request. If anything, he couldn’t have gotten away from her fast enough. Luckily the exit was back. By the time he was out of the cafeteria, he was shocked that the encounter had ended painlessly for him.

 

\---

 

“You’re back.” Chisa said.

“I blew it.” He scratched his hair when he came faced with her in the classroom.  The maid was both disappointed and happy to see him. Makoto figured he could understand why. If he was in her shoes, he’d be happy to see someone normal too.

“Knowing you, I bet you put up a good fight.” She wore a melancholic smile.

“You actually saved me for a while. I’d have gone nuts if it wasn’t because of this.” He pulled out the white cloth.

“My handkerchief? You brought that with you? You _could_ bring that with you?” Chisa was as surprised as he was. Unfortunately, that meant he couldn’t get answers for how the handkerchief came with him from the instructor.

Speaking of which… “Didn’t you see in the theater?” Kamukura said the events on the island were transmitted to the screen.

“I promised myself that I wouldn’t participate in Junko’s warped games. That includes staying away from the cinema.” Chisa explained.

“Thank you. Just knowing there’s someone with a conscience around here gives me some piece of mind.” Makoto smiled, one wiped away the very next second.

“It is like you are not even trying to win.” A third person in the room had gone unnoticed.

Makoto turned to the back of the room. Kamukura sat on the furthest seat from the door, his legs parked on the desk.

“How long have you been there?” Makoto asked…and got no reply. Good talk.

“You’ve already met?” Chisa asked. “Izuru visits from time to time.” Makoto didn’t miss how casual the teacher was. To him, Kamukura’s sudden appearance made the tension in the room surge, but Chisa may have felt differently.

“Yukizome would be a more valuable asset if used to gather information you may have missed. Refraining from optimizing her worth out of some petty sentimentality is naïve at best, and stupid at worst.” Kamukura chided him.

“I’m…not going to make her do that.” Makoto frowned.

“If I can be helpful that way, I wouldn’t mind. Getting you of here is our top priority right now.” Chisa placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him some much-needed encouragement.

“If you’re fine with it.” He couldn’t deny needing all the help he could get. “Chisa, can I ask you something… _outside_?”

Chisa gave him a puzzled look, switching back and forth between Kamukura himself. “Sure.” She agreed.

“I don’t know this guy. Can we trust him?” Makoto whispered once they were in the halls.

Chisa thought it over a moment. Then smiled brightly. “Nope, definitely not.”

“Then he’s really with Enoshima?” Was what Kamukura said earlier, a lie?

She laughed, dismissing the potential alliance with a wave of the hand “No way. He can’t be trusted because he only has his own goals in mind. But he doesn’t care about Junko at all.”

“He said he was interested in my fight against her.”

 “Izuru isn’t the type to tell lies. If he says he’s interested in you, then that’s probably the truth. And he might give us some useful input.”

Makoto considered her advice. Blunt was definitely one way to describe Kamukura from his observations. The others being a bit dickish, but nothing he hadn’t experienced many times before. Even from Kyoko. And if Kamukura was nearly as capable then he’d be an idiot not to make seize a potential advantage. “Alright. I guess I should get along with him.”

Chisa clapped her hands. “That’d be nice. Maybe a friend can change that rotten orange’s mood.”

“No promises.” He’ll cross one mountain at a time.

Their impromptu game plan decided. Makoto slid open the door…and froze with the first step inside.  The head count in the room had suddenly gone up drastically. Kamukura was standing in front of the room and the desks were now occupied by...his classmates.

All of them, save Kizakura,  were seated, with a range of expressions befitting their usual character, and in their assigned placements back at HPA.

“They’re not real. Izuru made them, by copying what I did before.” Chisa explained. He was never going to get used to this.

Makoto wobbled towards the other man, his attention gripped by the terribly life-like construction of his friends.

 “Why’d you bring them here?” Makoto twitched.

“Use them.” Kamukura stated, as if those two words were enough to convey his meaning and intentions.

“Isn’t that nice. Izuru’s trying to help.” Chisa chirped from behind.

“How?”

“You…I’m certain you’re astute enough to have realized your failings in the previous game. You completely misread your priorities.” Kamukura said.

That’s what he meant. Well…yeah, that’s exactly what happened. Toko going berserk threw a giant wrench in everything and it was probably avoidable. He faced the clone of the author, seated at the front, frozen.

“This is so weird.” He commented.

 “Suck it up, mister.” Chisa flicked his forehead. “You know your friends much better than we do. If you want to save everyone, then isolate the ones most likely to fall into despair and the cause. You can categorize them in 3 levels. Easy, medium and Difficult.”

“Sounds simple enough.” He stared at Toko’s replica. “Medium.”

“Easy.”

Makoto looked to Kamukura who’d interrupted him. “What makes you say that?” Urge to defend friends, rising.

“Her weakness is Togami, who has died unceremoniously multiple times now. It doesn’t matter how she reacts to the others. If her sole pillar is removed, her descent is assured. You would be wise to deal with her quickly.”

Makoto hated to admit it, but he couldn’t find objective fault there. Didn’t mean he had to like it.

The luckster moved to the next desk, where Chihiro sat unmoving, staring into space.

“Medium. Chihiro’s strong. Even when he was losing hope, he didn’t harm anyone.” In the midst of everything going on, the despondent Chihiro was the least of his worries.

“Only because you reassured him. Nevertheless, your assessment is correct. Now what of him.” Kamukura referred to the culprit of the previous game.

“Taka…Medium…” He began.

“Are you trying to deceive me or yourself? 2 or 3 among your group pass and Ishimaru becomes a liability. Worse if the murders are spread out and the weight of failure piles on. I suspect he only lasted as long as he did in your previous trial because he was the culprit himself. Easy.”

Makoto frowned. Correct again. But backseat driver much?

“Mondo. I’m not really sure. He’s a good guy but he loses it when Taka and Chihiro are involved.” He was the first Makoto remembers who turned in the third game. But in the previous round, he held up fine.

“It sounds like he’s the same as Toko. I’d file under easy.” Chisa said.

This was depressing. Makoto thought, moving onto the drill-tailed gambler.

“Celes…” Huh, this was a strange one. “Difficult. Celes was fine in both rounds.” Maybe it was because her talent made her equipped to handling pressure…but “As a person, she doesn’t have as much faith in us as I’d like. She made a huge mistake in the third round and fell into Leon’s trap.” And that cost them. If the scale was for how well she handled despair, it would be in Makoto’s favor. But in terms of how difficult it was to keep track of her overall? Not so much.

“Hifumi…difficult.” Makoto labeled the gambler’s servant. “He never despaired and only went along with Celes. If Celes can be controlled, so can he. Heck, he’s been shown to doubt her at times.” The doujin author was oddly reliable in moral dilemmas.

“Hina…medium.” Like Hifumi and Celes, she’d never fallen to despair, but that didn’t mean the chance wasn’t there. After all,she went berserk when Sakura died, and Leon was found before the fallout could set in.

Makoto interpreted Kamukura’s silence as confirmation that he was on the right track. “Sakura…Difficult. Among my friends, she’s definitely someone I can always count on to have a rational mind.”

He sifted to the next seat, where his blue-haired friend was situated. “Sayaka…”

Kamukura watched with indifference, but Makoto felt he was being tested here.

“Easy.” Unfortunately. Sayaka didn’t cope well with the life-or-death situation, and she’s good at hiding what she’s really thinking. If he was to think logically, she was probably one of the most dangerous of his classmates and she _wasn’t_ tied to another like Toko or Mondo.

He  stopped at the baseball star. “Leon…difficult. He’s a really carefree guy, and he really had my back last time.” Makoto laughed nervously. That carefree attitude caused a lot of problems though.

The next was…puzzling. “Hagakure…I’m not sure despair would work on him.” The clairvoyant was on another level.

 “Yeah, me neither. Hiro’s kind of too stupid for that.” Chisa laughed.

…

“Huh?” Makoto cocked an eyebrow at her

“Nothing.” She looked to the side

“It sounded like you knew-.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Okay…. “Togami…difficult. I can’t see him falling to despair at all.” He has way too much confidence in himself. For once, that acted in their favor.

“Kyoko. Difficult” He said resolutely.

“You sound confident of that one.” Kamukura deduced.

“Kyoko would never play into Enoshima’s hands.” That was the end of that train of thought. He decided it was something that couldn’t happen.

The final stops were the twins “Ikusaba…I actually have no idea.” He’d never known the soldier all that well. Even if something happened to Ryoko, he wasn’t sure how the raven-haired sister would react.

“Ryoko…Impossible.”

“You think so?” Kamukura asked.

“Yeah…she probably wouldn’t get overly emotional for anyone.” Even when her sister died, she’d kept her composure. That was both a comforting and disheartening thought. The first because it meant he could trust her even in times of crisis. The latter because it exemplified how estranged and isolated the girl’s heart was.

“Both would be difficult, is my guess.”

“That makes the most problematic ones:  Toko, Mondo, Sayaka and Kiyotaka.” Chisa listed.

Makoto nodded. The others are manageable, if they aren’t the culprits themselves.  “Mondo and Taka can be dealt with, I think. We just need to keep them safe together with Chihiro. They work best as a team of three anyway.  Sayaka can be helped if I keep Kyoko with her.” The detective would be able to make out any abnormal behavior from the idol. Of course, all this was easier said than done. “Toko’s the tough one. She barely listens to me as it is. Togami would keep her in line, but even he’s tougher to keep track of.” Makoto put a finger to his chin. “I guess I could keep Togami himself out of trouble.” The deluge of insults he’d have coming from the affluent progeny hardly mattered compared to the alternative.

“You should be grateful Enoshima limited the blackened to just one.” Kamukura blurted out a frightening possibility. One that made him shudder.

“More than one? No thanks, that’d be ridiculously unfair.”

“Undeniably.”

Even if Makoto could figure out the culprit’s plans, stopping them was probably impossible by himself. He didn’t want to think about the implications of multiple despair agents…Then again, wasn’t there another possibility he hadn’t seriously considered? “It might not be impossible if I had those weird powers too. You know, to even the odds?” It was a bit silly asking what any sane man would call a sickness of the imagination.

Chisa looked disturbed by the insinuation. “I’m not authorized to answer that.” Great. _Of course,_ Enoshima would lock that vital piece of information away.

“Do it. You have my permission.” Kamukura interjected.

…

“You can _do_ that?” Makoto wondered aloud.

“Enoshima’s restrictions don’t hold me to the same extent as the others here.”

“Izuru can acquire the same ability…but it’s not to the same degree, right?” Chisa crossed her arms.

“Indeed. At most, I can offer resistance, but neutralizing her **[Authority]** altogether is not possible. Her metacognition exceeds mine.”

…

“Meta… _what_?” That was a new one.

“I should be able to explain now, if Izuru lets me, but…you’re going against Junko, you know, that right?” Chisa directed the latter half of the sentence to the black-haired man.

“That’s her problem. If she wants a fight, I’ll gladly give her one.” Kamukura replied.

“I’m worried about your safety here, you know?” Chisa shook her head.

“Worry about your own. The one in the most vulnerable position in all this, is yourself.”

“You’re not wrong.” Chisa sighed, then turned to Makoto. “Listen carefully, Makoto. What I’m about to tell you is _really_ important. Afterwards, you can decide for yourself how to move on.”

He gulped. “No pressure. And I don’t think anything can surprise me at this point.”

Chisa gave him a look that said, “We’ll see about that.”

“Metacognition is a higher level of awareness, and that acts as the origin point for everything that goes on here.”

“And like that, you’ve lost me.” Makoto said. “What do you mean _everything_?” Did that include himself? He knew where he came from and it had nothing to do with any meta-stuff.

Chisa formed a tight-lipped smile “…Have you ever thought about why you don’t bring your injuries back with you when you arrive here?”

 “Magic?” He sarcastically repeated the bear’s earlier replies.

“No. Well, I’m not really sure, but this is just a theory I think’s correct. We’re not in our physical bodies. Those are long dead.”

…

Why…hadn’t he ever considered that? His own body had been battered terribly, so why was he fine whenever he returned here?

“Going further, your memories get fractured to, don’t they? Well, that was the same for me when I first arrived. It took a bit of effort and a terrible event to get me recognize myself. Izuru was the same, right?” She glanced at the gloomy man, who replied with a simple “Yes.”

“The reason is what gets sent here is our thoughts. A record of our experiences, ideas and memories. The self without the body.”

Makoto raised a hand, In front of Chisa. “You’re saying I’m _not_ real? If that was true, why can I touch or see anything?” He believed he was being reasonably skeptical. If he was just a collection of thoughts, he shouldn’t be able to recognize anything else. He could still see, hear, touch and hell, he still felt pain. Enoshima made that abundantly clear when they first met.

“Well yes. Because you, Makoto Naegi, died and came here, the easiest way for your mind to handle the sudden change , is to recognize yourself as you’ve always known it. All the sensations you feel aren’t necessarily real, you just think _‘this is how I’m supposed to look, or this is how I should react based on my preconceptions’_ and that’s how you materialize yourself here.” Chisa explained slowly. “To put it another way. If you theoretically, were to suddenly convince yourself that you couldn’t feel pain or that you didn’t exist as Makoto. You could disappear or become someone else entirely. A lot easier said than done though.”

Makoto cupped his forehead, fingers splayed, as if the instructor’s words were forcibly wrenching a piece of his brain open.

“You said it was a theory, right? You mean you can’t say for sure?” He hoped she was wrong.

Chisa tilted her head. “You’d be surprised how much Junko keeps to herself. And she’s smart to. In this place, the more you know, the stronger you are. Like the saying goes ‘knowledge is power’”

“ ‘I think therefore I am’.” Izuru spoke up after minutes of silence. The makeshift students he created had vanished, and he returned to his seat, assuming the posture he took when Makoto first arrived.

In fact, that was a good idea. He felt like he needed to sit down too, so he did. “…is it too late to mention that I skipped philosophy?” Makoto muttered.

“Boys will be boys.” Chisa smiled ruefully. “It mean that you can reject or doubt everything around you, but you can’t doubt yourself – the one who thinks –  therefore you have to be real, even if you believe nothing else is.”

“To doubt, is simultaneously an admittance to not knowing. Therefore, something in this world must be aware of the unknown –  it must be separate and greater than yourself for possessing the awareness you lack. That ‘something’ - to the world - is all of us standing here right now.” Kamukura said.

“C-Could you simplify?”

Kamukura grunted lightly. “Who invented cinematography?”

Makoto swayed his head to the side. “No clue. That was a long time ago and I uh, never needed to know?” He frowned, feeling the other male was mocking him internally. Not his fault. He bet a lot of people his age didn’t know either!

“You have doubtlessly seen many films across your lifetime…and thus, acknowledge they exist…yet you do not know their origin? Isn’t that, in of itself, a concession that someone, outside the realm of your conception, existed before you and must have created those films?”

Makoto listened silently, ruminating over what he felt, sounded like a logical trap. If someone hadn’t created movies then, Makoto wouldn’t think “Who made it?’, he’d just deny they existed outright or would already know of them “Okay, I _think_ I follow there…but what does any of this have to do with your abilities?”

“Baby steps, Makoto. No point putting the cart before the horse.” He reluctantly listened to Chisa, if only because the older woman was giving him another of those, very non-threatening, smiles.

“Good boy. Now, using the film analogy, you know how in those action movies, there’s always some bad guy plotting something horrible until they get their butts kicked.” Makoto stifled a giggle at the comical fighting pose the teacher took. “But…no matter what diabolical scheme they hatch, or whatever terror the protagonists feel… the events of that movie can’t hurt _you_ , can they?”

…

The luckster didn’t consider himself a genius, he didn’t even think he had above average intelligence, but…even he could see Chisa was alluding to something that sounded very, very wrong.  “Because it’s just a film. None of it is real.” The words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

“Do they know that? I’m referring to the characters that are being brought to life and viewed by the audience, not the actors playing them.” Chisa said. “If you’d prefer, I could switch my analogy to a video-game or anime, but I think you get the point. To them, their setting is real…but not to us, because we exist outside the confines of their reality. No matter how much talent the characters have, or how much pain or joy they feel. To us, it’s just fiction.”

“Yukizome, stop skirting around the issue.” Kamukura interrupted. “There is no analogy being made here. She is speaking very literally, Makoto Naegi.” He could feel the black-haired man’s stare boring holes at his back. “Consider where we are. What was the _very first_ thing you saw when you found yourself in this nexus.”

The first thing…I saw…

**_After 16 seconds of waiting, the blank screen changed to a viewing…of his class. It looked like a recording…no it had to be one because he was in the video.  Sayaka, Leon, Taka, Mondo and Kyoko were huddled over around his desk, chatting amiably. (Chapter 6)_ **

Makoto’s eyes widened. “…A movie screening.” Enoshima told him all that happened in another world.

“When we spoke earlier, did you believe only the events on that island concerning you and your classmates was the extent of what could be seen in this cinema? You’d be wrong…and I was being very literal as I do not mince words, and I don’t care for falsehoods either. **We are the audience, and the ones down below are the predictable, tedious characters of a play, unable to surpass the script laid out for them**.”

…

His head hurt. Sweat streaked down his chin as he gazed at the others with a weary expression that shifted between bewilderment and anger, eventually settling on the latter. Even if the two did not intend on it, Makoto felt like he’d just been blindsided by the greatest insult imaginable. “You guys. Are you saying me and my friends? Our families. Everything we’ve gone through, is _fictional_?” He yelled, the word ‘fictional’ once so common, now taking on a new, foreign meaning.

“I understand how you feel and both of us went through the same thing.” Chisa replied. “It’s not that you’re fictional. That you’re here at all is proof that your world is real. It’s just less… _concrete_ than you thought.”

“Y-You make it sound like we’re god or something.” The word sounded ridiculous coming out of his mouth.

“Omnipotent? Were you not listening to Yukizome earlier? Knowledge is power. Neither her nor I – and most certainly not you – are omniscient so how can we be all-powerful?” Kamukura replied dryly. “And as   _I_ mentioned, there is _already_ a script for the characters to follow. How did you conclude that we are equipped to change it?”

 “Watching what goes on down there is one thing but you can’t just make modifications or interfere with everyone…because there is already a fixed path for those worlds to follow.” Chisa said. “And changing fate is…” Chisa looked pensive, trying choosing her words carefully. “Think about it this way. Once a film is released, _you_ can’t exactly change the script, can you?”

An ordinary civilian has no influence on a screening or a movie release, all they can do is pay to watch or criticize the film. Not even the staff can necessarily change the film unless they were really high-up.

“Not without holding the rights, and even then, that isn’t easy or practical.” Chisa shook her head.  
“Alterations to an already released film are difficult, costly and consequential. It’s possible to make a new film but there are problems there too. You’d still need to follow the general outline of the old model or else it’d be a different movie entirely. If the film is too similar, not many would pay to see it. It’s an impossible balance that only one person I know can manage.”

Makoto let their words sink in. One thing was particularly disturbing, and he _almost_ didn’t want to know the answer. “Who holds the rights?”

Chisa frowned, essentially giving him the answer with that alone. “Junko.”

He let his head fall on the desk. Makoto felt like he was slowly beginning to understand how stacked the deck was against him. How was he supposed to win against her?

“Our powers have two origins. They’re tied to our metacognition; that is the awareness of our own place in the world, limited by the scope of our knowledge and understanding. The other…is Enoshima’s magic. She’s the one who showed us how to manifest them like you’ve seen.” Kamukura said.

“How?”

 **“[Despair]”** Kamukura said.

 _…What!?..._ Actually, maybe not all that surprising. Enoshima did call herself the despair witch…but that didn’t make it any less ridiculous _._ “You…don’t get superpowers from being a little sad.” Makoto was overcome with the urge to roll his eyes.

“That is the trigger Enoshima presented us with. I am not aware of any other ways to unlock our abilities. They likely exist, but Enoshima’s **[Authority]** has determined despair to be the most expedient method. That witch likens despair to a virus; as it the source of our power, it is apt to treat it as such. An infection that opens your eyes to an experience divorced from the ordinary. Her brand of despair leaves you out of touch with normality, forcing you to abandon your own preconceptions. I should not have to explain how this concept greatly facilitates the first requirement to gain these powers.”

Despair “liberated” you  from sanity. In this world, being less grounded in normality actually made you _stronger_?

“The despair virus infects us and slowly perverts the identity and values we held, twists and crystallizes them into power. Sakura Ogami became a monster who violated the principle rule of martial arts – fight only in self-defence – and instead, relished in tormenting the weak. The glutton Leon Kuwata, seeking only pleasure and self-satisfaction chose to destroy the very things he held dear with the instrument of his talents. Kiyotaka Ishimaru preached an objective, moral justice yet subjected you all to his own personal, delusions and averted his eyes from the truth.” Kamukura gave Makoto a blank look. “That is what you must become to gain power.”

“I need to become like them?” _Is this what Monokuma meant when he said it would be pointless?’_

 “That’s the part even I don’t understand. It isn’t easy trying to connect to the lower worlds. You need a medium down there to run interference. Take for example…Junko can’t make Jabberwock island blow up with the snap of her fingers. But, let’s say that there happened to be the possibility of a giant storm nearby, like a hurricane or a tsunami…it is possible that she could wipe out all life there, through it.” Chisa said with a contemplative expression “ It’s not like Junko exists in that world anyway, so how can she infect your classmates? Are you sure you don’t remember anything, like a point where you all went through a similar treatment or experience?”

“I would remember if Enoshima injected us with a virus.” He wasn’t an idiot. How could she ask that?

“Makoto, it doesn’t have to be-“ Chisa’s words were caught in her throat. That meant…

 “Don’t get ahead of yourself. There is no entertainment to be had in this if you explain that much. Any further and you’ll sabotage the game.” Kamukura admonished.

He was still talking like that!? Did this guy have a shred of human emotion or decency?

Chisa tapped on the desk. “You’re the one who abridges too much. You’re like a university professor teaching algebra to a toddler and thinking he’ll understand.”

“With the proper training and talent, anything is possible.”

It almost sounded like a joke.

 The skeptical teacher shook her head and turned to the dazed Makoto. “You get it, don’t you? Despair is all Junko has on the brain. Naturally, that would be tied to how we all manifest our abilities.”

 He sighed heavily and accepted that it was out of the question for him. “Do they have weaknesses? Anything would do at this point.

“Technically yes, but that depends on the person. See, there are categories despairs generally fall under, all varying with the individual. They are reinforcement, mind and creation. They have their own strengths and weaknesses.” Chisa mused.

Weaknesses are good. Strengths are bad. “Be specific with the part that makes easy to beat, please.”  He said satirically. It was getting harder to take all this seriously.

 “Reinforcement is a type of body augmentation. The despair virus gives all the hosts higher resilience than normal by taxing the body into overdrive, but reinforcement-types are particularly strong. The weakness is that it taxes the body’s health and energy. The range is also usually small. Mondo was this type. If you keep your distance and wait them out, you’ll probably be fine. A direct confrontation isn’t advisable.”

Not like he would ever think of picking a fight with Mondo in the first place. And running was the first thing that always came to mind. Not exactly helpful information.

“The next is Mind. Like the name suggests, it influences cognition, either yours or the target’s. The scope of these types are much wider and versatile than reinforcement. The downside is that the user tends to be physically weak and the drain on mental stamina is high. Those with this type will mentally degrade the more they use their powers, losing their sanity in the process. In a staggering amount of irony, that would make them more powerful. Kiyotaka fit this role.”

This was sounding like a masochist’s wet dream. He was neither fond of pain and would readily wake up from this horrible nightmare.

 “The last is the most problematic of all. The creation type. Simply put, you project your thoughts onto reality.”

“…What!?” Oh, come on!

Chisa shrugged. “Only on a small scale, suiting the user’s needs. But on the other hand, it shares both drawbacks of the previous categories. You’ll run out of steam quickly, both physically and mentally.”

Kamukura continued in Chisa’s stead. “I do not understand your surprise. Yukizome has already displayed this skill for you. She simulated an environment suitable for fostering your development.”

So that’s what those 3D models were.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions. Despairs depend on your mindset and can change depending on what you feel or think. Remember what I said at the start? If you convince yourself that you’re something else, alterations to your ‘self’ is possible. It’s pretty rare for that to happen though, since people can’t deceive themselves so easily.” The instructor said.

“This. All of this sounds _absurd_.” He slammed his hands on the desk. There was a limit to megalomania and it had _long_ been breached. He had every mind to walk out of here, lock himself up and wait out this nightmare.

A sudden warmth bubbled up in his stomach, quickly growing hotter until he felt like his insides were boiling. Using a strained eye, he saw the room slowly dissolve.

“This is boring. Despite being in the same position to ‘know’, you still _doubt_ and cling to your common values. You will never defeat Enoshima that way.” Kamukura stood up and stared at him with icy content. Those eyes, red pearls that had become so familiar and pervasive. “These eyes are the mark of despair. In other words, they are also evidence of our superiority. Do not presume you are the same as us.”

His head inclined towards Chisa who, unlike before, made no move to help him. Instead her eyes were the same color as Kamukura’s, though not nearly as devoid of empathy. It looked like she was trying to tell him something.

This was…a lesson. A reminder that nobody here was normal. Would he turn out like them?

The pressure finally let up and Makoto fell to the ground, his features dazed, bloody saliva dripping from his mouth as he struggled to breath.

 “A field simulating acidic corrosion. Inorganic substances melt and breakdown while the living have their blood and oxygen evaporated from the inside. Hanamura was walking-garbage, but his power is fairly effective. Wouldn't you agree, Makoto Naegi? I'm certain you find this experience to be quite absurd as well, but dismissing that inanity is doing nothing to alleviate your pain right now, is it?"

Makoto writhed in agony, feeling his consciousness slipping.

“That pain is all in your mind. If you divorced yourself from the notion that something of that level could harm you, you would heal immediately.” Kamukura scoffed, both he and Chisa remaining unphased in the middle of this metaphorical oven stood as testament to his logic. Kamukura walking over Makoto like the lucky student was trash left by the roadside. “By the way. The inventor of cinematography? His name is William-Friesce-Greene. There, don’t you feel slightly more accomplished than you were 10 seconds ago?”

Makoto’s glared weakly in response to the thinly veiled sneer. There was one thing the impassive man said that he believed with certainty, right before his eyes closed.

They were not allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The despair virus is ripped and extrapolated on straight out of DR2's chapter 3 motive. It's also responsible for why class 78's abnormalities. How it was administered to them is still a mystery at this point.


	22. Despair Files (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor update detailing the profiles of some of the characters infected by the despair disease thus far.

_"Despair is contagious. It's much like a natural phenomenon, as a matter of fact_." - Junko Enoshima, DR1

 

**Despair disease**

  * Category: Pandemic
  * Method of Transmission: Currently undisclosed
  * Trademark symptoms: Erratic behavior and red-colored irises.  
  * Effects: Abnormalities surface in the host's body, subsequently amplifying their natural abilities in various, specific ways.



 

** Rank **

E - Weak even by the standards of ordinary humans.

D - Average performance.

C - Indicates proficient skill

B  - One-of-a-kind Ultimate talents, the pinnacle of humanity.

A - Ranks inhuman ability.

S - In a class of their own.

 

**Parameters**

Strength - Physical might

Endurance - Resistance to injury.

Agility - Speed and reflexes.

Range - The maximum distance the virus extends

Intelligence - Information and application of knowledge.

Stamina - Gauges the economic efficiency of ability when in use.

Destructive Power - The overall rank of the despair disease. This stat is on a separate scale from the rest, not merely determined via physical destruction but by a virus' capacity for wreaking havoc and destabilizing order. The difference in rank is analogous to the proliferation of a volatile disease; from affecting single persons, to small groups, to entire communities. 

 

 

**-Hosts-**

 

** Leon Kuwata **

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: B

Intelligence: E

Stamina: E

Destructive Power: B

 

Abilities:  **[Grand Slam]**  

Creation Type: A metal bat and strong emotional dissonance are required for skill activation. High emotional discord is transformed into fuel for a high impact detonation emanating from the bat’s swing. This skill strains the body, consumes a great deal of physical and mental energy and can only be used three times in a day before reaching exhaustion. As the name suggests, a fourth attempt is possible, at the cost of the host’s life.

 

**Mondo Owada**

Strength: C (C+)

Endurance: B (B+)

Agility: C (C+)

Range: D

Intelligence: E

Stamina: B

Destructive power: C

  

Abilities:  **[Outlaw]**  

Reinforcement Type: Principles, morality, intelligence and sensory attunement are dulled, transforming the host into a remorseless killing machine. The host’s body grows increasingly more powerful with damage taken, however injuries are not healed. Potential for evolution is high.

 

** Chihiro Fujisaki **

Strength: E

Endurance: E

Agility: E

Range: A

Intelligence: B

Stamina: C

Destructive power: A

 

Abilities: ???

 

**Sakura Ogami**

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: C

Range: D

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive Power: D

 

Abilities: **[Amazoness]**

Reinforcement Type: Host receives minor physical enhancements. The body is protected by an imperceptible, external layer rendering conventional weaponry such as blades and bullets ineffective. Even certain toxins are null. This ability is negated against anyone with comparable or higher parameters (B-S).

 

** Kiyotaka Ishimaru **

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: E

Intelligence: D

Stamina: C

Destructive power: E

 

Abilities: **[Justitia]**

Mind Type: Inhibitions are removed, and all actions taken are considered acceptable. The host’s conscience becomes incapable as perceiving personal action as morally unjust through means of delusions and self-deception. The virus places very little burden on his body and preserves the purity of the mind. However, there is no potential for evolution.

 

**Toko Fukawa**

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility:  B

Range: D

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive power: C

 

Abilities: **[The Ripper's Overture]**

Reinforcement Type: Activated upon high emotional intensity, consequently, the host merges with the other personality. All physical attributes are greatly enhanced in proportion to the host's excitability, with extreme emphasis on speed.

 

**Genocider Syo**

Strength: E (B)

Endurance: B

Agility: A

Range: A

Intelligence: D

Stamina: B

Destructive power: E (C)

 

Abilities **: [The Ripper's Coda]**

Reinforcement Type: Effects are operable only on what the current personality recognizes as male. The virus manifests the contradiction of bloodlust along with the simultaneous rejection of its origin, the other personality. Once aware of the contradiction and the origin, physical parameters are enhanced further. Provided the host has touched a target after transforming, they may implant minor lacerations on any part of the target’s body without need for further contact. As a cost, the host can no longer initiate physical contact with the specified gender, and suffers a drastic decrease in attack parameters. Additionally, the many restrictions inflicted on the self prevent the host from ___

 

**Sayaka Maizono**

Strength: E

Endurance: D

Agility: D

Range: B

Intelligence: C

Stamina: C

Destructive Power: A

 

Abilities: **[Siren]**

Creation Type: ???

 


End file.
